Bluetooth mouse and keyboard

Many people have reported problems with connecting a Bluetooth mouse or keyboard and making it stay connected. There is an easy solution to this problem. You only have to do this once, and the mouse will connect automatically when you turn it on, or it resumes from power savings.

8.10 and newer

Beginning with Ubuntu Hardy, X uses Input Hotplug for automatically configuring input devices.

7.10 and 8.04

Since Ubuntu Gutsy there is now a graphical interface to connect input devices (including mice and keyboards).

1. Go to System > Preferences > Bluetooth or right-click on the Bluetooth applet and choose Preferences.

2. Under "Mode of operation" choose "Visible and connectable for other devices"

3. Change to the Services tab, there will be a list of Available services. On that list, click once on Input service.

4. Put your input device in "pair" or "connect" mode. This is usually done with a physical button on or under the device.

5. In the Input Devices section, click "Add". A new window will appear with the input devices visible (in this example, a mouse).

   1. Mouse: Click on the mouse to choose it and click "Connect". A confirmation message will appear and the device should be connected.

   2. Keyboard: Click on the keyboard to choose it and click "Connect". It will prompt you to enter a password. Enter any password in the dialog, e.g. "1234", and then enter the exact same password on the keyboard, followed by Enter, and the device should be connected.

There is no need to modify any configuration files manually when using Ubuntu 7.10 or Ubuntu 8.04.

Older Ubuntu versions

6.10, 7.04

1. Edit the file /etc/default/bluetooth: sudo sensible-editor /etc/default/bluetooth

2. Set the variable HIDD_ENABLED=1.

3. Restart the bluetooth service with the command: sudo /etc/init.d/bluetooth restart

Ubuntu Versions Older than 6.10

1. sudo apt-get install bluez-utils

2. Edit the file /etc/default/bluez-utils: sudo sensible-editor /etc/default/bluez-utils

3. Set the variable HIDD_ENABLED=1.

4. Restart the bluetooth service with the command: sudo /etc/init.d/bluez-utils restart

Connect the device

Now let's connect the device:

sudo hidd --search

Retry this command until the device connects. You may have to turn it off and on or press the reset/connect button a couple of times. The steps to do this may vary from one device to the other.

Alternately, you can find the Bluetooth address of your mouse via:

• a label on the bottom of the mouse

• running hcitool scan

Once the address is known, type:

sudo hidd --connect deviceaddr

Where deviceaddr is the address of your mouse, for example 00:01:02:03:04:05

Now the mouse should reconnect once you turn it on, even if you reboot. Some people experience that using the hcitools for anything might create some fuzz with the hidd tool.

Approach was tested using:

CategoryHardware CategoryBluetooth CategoryX