Enable bluetooth keyboard at boot

I can connect my bluetooth keyboard manually just fine - and it works like a charm. My problem is that i can't get it to connect during boot.

Archlinux / Fluxbox / Dell Inspiron 1420N / Logitech BT Keyboard

What I did to configure the bt keyboard:
-installed bluez-utils
-added my keyboard's name/mac to file '/etc/bluetooth/hcid.conf'
-enabled laptop's bluetooth device with command 'hciconfig hci0 up'
-connected the device using the command 'hidd --search'

What I've done to try and get the keyboard to connect during boot:
-added the command 'hciconfig hci0 up' to file '/etc/rc.local' so the laptop's bt device is enabled
-added 'hcid' and 'hidd' to modules array in file '/etc/rc.conf'
-added 'bluetooth' to daemons arrary in file '/etc/rc.conf'
-added ' HIDD_ENABLE="true" ' to file '/etc/rc.d/bluetooth'
-added ' HIDD_OPTIONS="--connect <keyboard mac>" ' to file 'etc/rc.d/bluetooth'
-added 'HIDD_ENABLED=1' to file /etc/default/bluetooth'
-added ' HIDD_OPTIONS="--master --connect <keyboard mac> --server" ' to file '/etc/default/bluetooth'

Nothing seems to work. The keyboard never connects at boot. Anyone know what I need to do to get this working?

Very many thanks in advance.

Well, I think I have the boot thing figured out. I pretty much started from scratch, clearing out everything I did before. I then changed the '/etc/bluetooth/hcid.conf' to:

Code:

---

# HCI daemon configuration file.

# HCId options
options {
        # Automatically initialize new devices
        autoinit yes;

        # Security Manager mode
        #  none - Security manager disabled
        #  auto - Use local PIN for incoming connections
        #  user - Always ask user for a PIN
        #
        security user;

        # Pairing mode
        #  none  - Pairing disabled
        #  multi - Allow pairing with already paired devices
        #  once  - Pair once and deny successive attempts
        pairing multi;

        # Default PIN code for incoming connections
        #passkey "0000";

        # D-Bus PIN helper
        #dbus_pin_helper;
}

# Default settings for HCI devices
device {
        # Local device name
        #  %d - device id
        #  %h - host name
        name "inspiron (%d)";

        # Local device class
        class 0x000100;

        # Default packet type
        pkt_type DH1,DM1,HV1;

        # Inquiry and Page scan
        iscan enable; pscan enable;

        # Default link mode
        #  none  - no specific policy
        #  accept - always accept incoming connections
        #  master - become master on incoming connections,
        #            deny role switch on outgoing connections
        lm master;

        # Default link policy
    #  none    - no specific policy
        #  rswitch - allow role switch
        #  hold    - allow hold mode
        #  sniff  - allow sniff mode
        #  park    - allow park mode
        lp rswitch,hold,sniff,park;
}

---

I changed my '/etc/rc.local' to

Code:

---

#!/bin/bash
#
# /etc/rc.local: Local multi-user startup script.
#
hciconfig hci0 up &
sleep 1
hidd --connect 00:07:61:C4:98:21

---

and I click the pairing button on my keyboard when the laptop is starting up and the local commands initiate.

The keyboard now works at boot and can be used to log in!

I have found another problem though: after a few minutes of inactivity the keyboard goes to sleep - this deactivates the pairing - and I need to repair them with the hidd --connect command. Sigh.

Any ideas? How do I keep them paired through sleep, or re-pair them without having to type a command?

Thanks!

ok... I've made some strides I'll document here.

I was on the wrong path before. I shouldn't have duct taped my system by adding those commands to /etc/rc.local

Instead, I needed to add dbus and bluetooth to daemons in /etc/rc.conf. That enabled the hci0 device and started the hcid/hidd daemons.

Next, all the howtos on this are generally for Debian-based systems, hence why they have people alter /etc/default/bluetooth in order to keep the device paired. Arch doesn't follow this mold - instead the actual daemon should be altered, e.g. changes are made directly to /etc/rc.d/bluetooth.

I added HIDD_ENABLE="true" and HIDD_OPTIONS="--master --connect 00:00:00:00:00:00 --server" to /etc/rc.d/bluetooth.

Now everything is together as it should be, conformed to arch. I just need to wait around to see if the keyboard auto-pairs correctly now. *fingers crossed*

For further reference: here are my files with noted items bolded

/etc/rc.d/bluetooth

Code:

---

#!/bin/sh
#
# Start/stop the Bluetooth daemons
#

. /etc/rc.conf
. /etc/rc.d/functions

DAEMON_NAME="hcid"
HID2HCI_NAME="hid2hci"
SDPD_NAME="sdpd"
HIDD_NAME="hidd"
RFCOMM_NAME="rfcomm"
PAND_NAME="pand"
DUND_NAME="dund"

DAEMON_EXEC="/usr/sbin/hcid"
HID2HCI_EXEC="/usr/sbin/hid2hci"
SDPD_EXEC="/usr/sbin/sdpd"
HIDD_EXEC="/usr/bin/hidd"
RFCOMM_EXEC="/usr/bin/rfcomm"
PAND_EXEC="/usr/bin/pand"
DUND_EXEC="/usr/bin/dund"

DAEMON_ENABLE="true"
HID2HCI_ENABLE="false"
SDPD_ENABLE="false"
HIDD_ENABLE="true"
RFCOMM_ENABLE="false"
DUND_ENABLE="false"
PAND_ENABLE="false"

DAEMON_CONFIG="/etc/bluetooth/hcid.conf"
RFCOMM_CONFIG="/etc/bluetooth/rfcomm.conf"

HIDD_OPTIONS="--master --connect XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX <- your MAC here> --server"
DUND_OPTIONS="--listen --persist"
PAND_OPTIONS=""

[ -f /etc/conf.d/bluetooth ] && . /etc/conf.d/bluetooth

case "$1" in
  start)
    stat_busy "Starting bluetooth subsystem:"
    if [ "$DAEMON_ENABLE" = "true" -a -x "$DAEMON_EXEC" -a -f "$DAEMON_CONFIG" ] ; then
      stat_append " $DAEMON_NAME"
      if [ "$SDPD_ENABLE" = "true" ]; then
        $DAEMON_EXEC -f $DAEMON_CONFIG
      else
        $DAEMON_EXEC -s -f $DAEMON_CONFIG
      fi
    fi
..........removed for length........
    stat_append " $HIDD_NAME"
    killall $HIDD_NAME >/dev/null 2>&1

    stat_append " $SDPD_NAME"
    killall $SDPD_NAME >/dev/null 2>&1

    stat_append " $DAEMON_NAME"
    killall $DAEMON_NAME >/dev/null 2>&1

    rm_daemon bluetooth
    stat_done
    ;;
  restart)
    $0 stop
    sleep 1
    $0 start
    ;;
  *)
    echo "usage: $0 {start|stop|restart}"
esac
exit 0

---

/etc/bluetooth/hcid.conf

Code:

---

#
# HCI daemon configuration file.
#

# HCId options
options {
        # Automatically initialize new devices
        autoinit yes;

        # Security Manager mode
        #  none - Security manager disabled
        #  auto - Use local PIN for incoming connections
        #  user - Always ask user for a PIN
        #
        security auto;

        # Pairing mode
        #  none  - Pairing disabled
        #  multi - Allow pairing with already paired devices
        #  once  - Pair once and deny successive attempts
        pairing multi;

        # Default PIN code for incoming connections
        #passkey "0000";

        # D-Bus PIN helper
        #dbus_pin_helper;
}

# Default settings for HCI devices
device {
        # Local device name
        #  %d - device id
        #  %h - host name
        name "%h-%d";

        # Local device class
        class 0x000100;

        # Default packet type
        #pkt_type DH1,DM1,HV1;

        # Inquiry and Page scan
        iscan enable; pscan enable;
        discovto 0;

        # Default link mode
        #  none  - no specific policy
        #  accept - always accept incoming connections
        #  master - become master on incoming connections,
        #            deny role switch on outgoing connections
        lm accept;

        # Default link policy
        #  none    - no specific policy
        #  rswitch - allow role switch
        #  hold    - allow hold mode
        #  sniff  - allow sniff mode
        #  park    - allow park mode
        lp rswitch,hold,sniff,park;
}

device XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX {
name "DEVICE NAME";
auth enable;
encrypt enable;
}

---

/etc/rc.conf

Code:

---

#
# /etc/rc.conf - Main Configuration for Arch Linux
#

# -----------------------------------------------------------------------
# LOCALIZATION
# -----------------------------------------------------------------------
#
# LOCALE: available languages can be listed with the 'locale -a' command
# HARDWARECLOCK: set to "UTC" or "localtime"
# USEDIRECTISA: use direct I/O requests instead of /dev/rtc for hwclock
# TIMEZONE: timezones are found in /usr/share/zoneinfo
# KEYMAP: keymaps are found in /usr/share/kbd/keymaps
# CONSOLEFONT: found in /usr/share/kbd/consolefonts (only needed for non-US)
# CONSOLEMAP: found in /usr/share/kbd/consoletrans
# USECOLOR: use ANSI color sequences in startup messages
#
LOCALE="en_US.utf8"
HARDWARECLOCK="localtime"
USEDIRECTISA="yes"
TIMEZONE="Canada/Pacific"
KEYMAP="us"
CONSOLEFONT=
CONSOLEMAP=
USECOLOR="yes"

# -----------------------------------------------------------------------
# HARDWARE
# -----------------------------------------------------------------------
#
# MOD_AUTOLOAD: Allow autoloading of modules at boot and when needed
# MOD_BLACKLIST: Prevent udev from loading these modules
# MODULES: Modules to load at boot-up. Prefix with a ! to blacklist.
#
# NOTE: Use of 'MOD_BLACKLIST' is deprecated. Please use ! in the MODULES array.
#
MOD_AUTOLOAD="yes"
#MOD_BLACKLIST=() #deprecated
MODULES=(tg3 !iwl3945 ipw3945 snd-mixer-oss snd-pcm-oss snd-hwdep snd-page-alloc snd-pcm snd-timer snd snd-hda-intel soundcore)
..........removed for length........

# -----------------------------------------------------------------------
# DAEMONS
# -----------------------------------------------------------------------
#
# Daemons to start at boot-up (in this order)
#  - prefix a daemon with a ! to disable it
#  - prefix a daemon with a @ to start it up in the background
#
DAEMONS=(syslog-ng netfs crond ipw3945d autofs dbus bluetooth)

---

Everything is working perfectly. After having the computer and keyboard off all night, I just turned them both on and booted the computer. I was able to log in using the keyboard without doing anything.

The pacakges I installed were:
bluez-libs
bluez-utils
bluez-gnome & gnome-bluetooth (one of these helps with hid2hci)