I've been using Bluetooth earbuds for two years, but I've had a tough time getting Bluetooth to work smoothly on Linux, regardless of the distro I'm using. I have a small USB dongle, but frequently, when I restart my computer, Bluetooth gets disabled, and the dongle isn't recognized. This requires me to unplug it, then plug it back in and reconnect my earbuds manually, which can be quite a hassle. Sometimes, when I do reconnect, the volume defaults to 100%, which is way too loud even though the volume slider visually shows 40%—I have to adjust it again to make it bearable. I ordered a budget wifi + Bluetooth PCIe card (Fenvi), but I'm worried it might need drivers to function properly on Linux and that it might not work well. Is there a way to improve this basic feature so it isn't such a headache?
4 Answers
It sounds like the issue might be with your current adapter or card. If you get a well-supported adapter, you’re likely to have fewer problems. Check for ones that have good compatibility with Linux.
I use a BT20x dongle and an Aula BT mouse with my Acer Aspire running Arch. I had a couple of hiccups initially, but it turned out to be a simple fix with the mouse's Bluetooth channel. It might be a hardware issue on your end since I’ve had no problems on various laptops with different distros.
I’ve never faced any issues just using Blueman, it’s been straightforward for me. You might want to give that a try—it could simplify the process!
I’d recommend trying a different dongle. I heavily use mine for headphones and even an Xbox controller without any problems. My Bluetooth is built right into my laptop's wireless card without issues.
Maybe the dongle is the issue; I’ll check if the wifi card works without needing drivers. I doubt it’s the computer since I’ve replaced almost everything but the PSU in the last year!