Bluetooth Compatibility

This is one of the most common Bluetooth issues on Linux. The device connects as a "headset" (HFP/HSP profile) instead of a media player (A2DP profile). Fixes:

1. Open your sound settings (or pavucontrol / pwvucontrol) and check the output device. Switch to the "High Fidelity Playback (A2DP Sink)" profile.
2. If A2DP is not available, the audio codec may not be installed. See the codecs section below.
3. Try disconnecting and reconnecting the earbuds.
4. Make sure PipeWire (or PulseAudio) Bluetooth modules are installed:

# For PipeWire (modern distros)
sudo apt install libspa-0.2-bluetooth   # Ubuntu/Debian
sudo dnf install pipewire-codec-aptx    # Fedora
sudo pacman -S pipewire-pulse           # Arch (pulls in bluetooth support)

# Restart PipeWire
systemctl --user restart pipewire pipewire-pulse wireplumber

Xbox Wireless Controllers (the ones with Bluetooth, not the older RF-only models) work on Linux via Bluetooth, but pairing can be tricky:

1. Make sure you have a recent kernel (5.16+ for best support) and BlueZ 5.66+
2. Put the controller in pairing mode: hold the Xbox button until it flashes, then hold the small pairing button on top until it flashes rapidly
3. Pair using bluetoothctl or your desktop's Bluetooth settings
4. Install xpadneo for enhanced support (rumble, battery level, better d-pad):

# Install xpadneo (improved Xbox controller driver)
sudo apt install dkms git
git clone https://github.com/atar-axis/xpadneo.git
cd xpadneo
sudo ./install.sh

# If pairing fails, try disabling Enhanced Re-Transmission Mode:
echo 1 | sudo tee /sys/module/bluetooth/parameters/disable_ertm

Bluetooth keyboards usually pair without issues, but there are some gotchas:

• PIN entry -- Some keyboards require you to type a PIN on the keyboard and press Enter. If bluetoothctl shows a PIN, type it on the Bluetooth keyboard (not your regular keyboard).
• Login screen -- Bluetooth may not be active at the login screen / display manager. You will need a wired keyboard or USB keyboard to type your password, then Bluetooth connects after login.
• Multiple OS pairing -- If you pair a keyboard with both Linux and Windows (dual boot), each OS generates a different pairing key. The keyboard can only remember one. Re-pair each time you switch OS, or look into syncing pairing keys manually.

This often indicates a pairing key mismatch or a power management issue:

# Remove the device and re-pair
bluetoothctl remove AA:BB:CC:DD:EE:FF
# Then pair again from scratch

# If the issue is USB autosuspend disabling the Bluetooth adapter:
# Disable autosuspend for Bluetooth
echo 'ACTION=="add", SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="8087", ATTR{idProduct}=="0029", ATTR{power/autosuspend}="-1"' | \
  sudo tee /etc/udev/rules.d/50-bluetooth-no-autosuspend.rules
sudo udevadm control --reload-rules

# Check Bluetooth logs for specific errors
journalctl -u bluetooth -f

# Bluetooth is usually set up by default
# If not, install the necessary packages:
sudo apt install bluez bluez-tools pulseaudio-module-bluetooth
# Or for PipeWire (Ubuntu 24.04+):
sudo apt install bluez bluez-tools libspa-0.2-bluetooth

# Enable the service
sudo systemctl enable --now bluetooth

# Install Blueman for a GUI manager (useful on XFCE/i3)
sudo apt install blueman

# Fedora includes Bluetooth support by default
# If needed:
sudo dnf install bluez bluez-tools

# For high-quality audio codecs (aptX, LDAC)
sudo dnf install pipewire-codec-aptx

# Enable the service
sudo systemctl enable --now bluetooth

# Install Bluetooth packages
sudo pacman -S bluez bluez-utils

# Enable the service
sudo systemctl enable --now bluetooth

# For PipeWire Bluetooth audio
sudo pacman -S pipewire-pulse

# For a GUI manager
sudo pacman -S blueman      # GTK-based
# or
sudo pacman -S bluedevil    # KDE

# Install Bluetooth stack
sudo apt install bluez bluetooth

# For PulseAudio Bluetooth
sudo apt install pulseaudio-module-bluetooth

# For PipeWire Bluetooth (Debian 12+)
sudo apt install libspa-0.2-bluetooth

sudo systemctl enable --now bluetooth

# Install Bluetooth packages
sudo zypper install bluez bluez-tools

# Enable the service
sudo systemctl enable --now bluetooth

# For PipeWire Bluetooth audio
sudo zypper install pipewire-module-bluetooth

PipeWire supports aptX, aptX HD, LDAC, and AAC out of the box on most distros, but you may need to install codec libraries:

# Ubuntu / Debian
sudo apt install libspa-0.2-bluetooth libldac2-dev libfdk-aac-dev

# Fedora
sudo dnf install pipewire-codec-aptx

# Arch
sudo pacman -S pipewire-pulse
# aptX and LDAC support is built into pipewire-pulse on Arch

# Restart PipeWire
systemctl --user restart pipewire pipewire-pulse wireplumber

To check which codec is active for a connected device:

# Using pw-dump (PipeWire)
pw-dump | grep -A5 "bluetooth" | grep codec

# Or check in pavucontrol / pwvucontrol
# The codec will be shown in the device profile name

To prefer a specific codec, create or edit ~/.config/wireplumber/bluetooth.lua.d/51-bluez-config.lua:

bluez_monitor.properties = {
  ["bluez5.codecs"] = "[sbc sbc_xq aac ldac aptx aptx_hd aptx_ll aptx_ll_duplex]",
}