Bluetooth Headset w\ microphone and multimedia keys [SOLVED]

pingviin · 2009-12-23 09:31:21

I've been desperately trying to get Nokia BH-604 bluetooth headset working with ALSA. I finally managed to get audio working by:

1) adding this to my .asoundrc
pcm.bluetooth {
   type bluetooth
   device 00:0D:3C:B0:99:4A
}
pcm.!default {
type plug
slave.pcm "bluetooth"
}
2) Pairing my headset using Bluez
3) Adding "alsasink device=bluetooth" to corresponding audiosinks in /system/gstreamer/0.10/default/ (using gconftool-2 or gconf-editor)

Now, the headset speakers work just fine. But I'd also like to get its microphone and multimedia buttons (play/pause, next, previous) working. Any ideas how one can do this?

edit: I got everything working with PulseAudio, will soon write instructions to the Wiki.

Last edited by pingviin (2010-01-25 00:29:07)

pingviin · 2009-12-24 21:48:06

bump?

ngoonee · 2009-12-24 23:09:42

Not getting a reply for this wrong tends to mean not many/nobody actually knows about this, unfortunately.

ngoonee · 2009-12-28 00:16:21

FWIW, you may want to try out pulseaudio instead.

pingviin · 2009-12-28 17:44:08

ngoonee wrote:

FWIW, you may want to try out pulseaudio instead.

I once already tried. Got speakers working but no microphone. However, I found another possible solution and will try it out as soon as I can.
In the meantime, any suggestions how to get multimedia buttons working? xev and showkey won't show anything.

venky80 · 2010-01-07 01:53:30

anyone know how to do this in KDE?

ngoonee · 2010-01-07 02:33:53

From my own experiments (pulse-based), it seems the key is to load the uinput kernel module (not auto-loaded in Arch), whcih is needed to translate the multimedia keys properly.

pingviin · 2010-01-21 21:45:06

ngoonee wrote:

From my own experiments (pulse-based), it seems the key is to load the uinput kernel module (not auto-loaded in Arch), whcih is needed to translate the multimedia keys properly.

Thank you! I added uinput to MODULES section in /etc/rc.conf and the multimedia buttons just started working.

...now, if I just could get the microphone working too then I'd as happy as fat kid with a cake.

edit: I now got everything working with Pulseaudio

Last edited by pingviin (2010-01-21 23:34:50)

ngoonee · 2010-01-22 03:24:02

A pulse success story on Arch. Who'd have thunk it.

(Sorry get quite irked with the amount of 'pulse sucks we don't need it' I heard pretty often).

On a separate note, if your mic is working then you're using HSP/HFP which means music would sound crappy. If you want nice music switch to A2DP (but that's one-way, no mic). Pulse allows on-the-fly switching.

venky80 · 2010-01-22 10:34:33

could you please write an updated wiki , I am planning to buy a bluetooth headset and it will be great if i know how to configure it.
Also were you able to make it autostart after computer reboot and headset sleep /wake cycle?

ngoonee · 2010-01-22 10:35:59

@venky80, the easiest way to configure it is to install and use pulseaudio. Don't forget pavucontrol. Just pair with the headset and everything "should" happen automatically.

pingviin · 2010-01-22 13:50:54

ngoonee wrote:

On a separate note, if your mic is working then you're using HSP/HFP which means music would sound crappy. If you want nice music switch to A2DP (but that's one-way, no mic). Pulse allows on-the-fly switching.

I know. When I need to use microphone (for Skype) then I'll just switch to HSP/HFP, it's as simple as that.

venky80 wrote:

could you please write an updated wiki

I probably am going to, but not before Monday. You know, weekend is coming - one can not stay home. Until then you should read PulseAudio section in the wiki. If you just follow those instructions then everything should work just fine. I strongly reccommend installing gnome-media-pulse too, which makes using PulseAudo much easier. Also, if you get PulseAudio working then you also need to install vlc-pulse and mpd-pulse (if you use mpd or vlc) and gstreamer0.10-pulse.

venky80 wrote:

Also were you able to make it autostart after computer reboot and headset sleep /wake cycle?

Yes, it's all VERY simple. The only issue I'm now having is that VLC lags audio about 350ms, but you can fix that by pressing 'J' in vlc until audio delay is set to -350ms.

edit:
@ngoonee, do you know if it is possible to set up a shortcut key to switch between normal speakers and bt-headset?
edit2:
also, have you tried gnome-pulse-applet? It seems to be crashing all the time.
edit3:
gnome-pulse-applet isn't working, but pulseaudio-mixer-applet is very useful.

Last edited by pingviin (2010-01-22 15:31:39)

venky80 · 2010-01-23 19:29:25

seems like KDE people are again left with no good option
@pingviin: Please do write a wki anyway , because it will be way more useful.
Thanks

Last edited by venky80 (2010-01-24 22:23:39)

ngoonee · 2010-01-24 16:02:59

@pingviin
I simply use pavucontrol, really. You can move streams from there, or set a default device for all streams which have never been moved. For your usage I suggest never moving a sream and simply setting default device repeatedly. I'm sure you can use pactl to do that in a script.

venky80 · 2010-01-24 22:24:18

@ngoonee do you have any ideas for kde users?

ngoonee · 2010-01-24 23:35:20

On the pulseaudio ML I've seen that there's some really nice KDE integration being developed by Colin over at Mandriva. Of course, it still has to go up-stream and come back down for us to use it.

I'm sure you could access his GIT repos directly. Join up on the pulse ML and ask a quick question. What I've seen of his work looks good, check it out at http://colin.guthr.ie/

venky80 · 2010-01-25 07:34:58

seems his patches will be in 4.4 final http://colin.guthr.ie/2009/11/pulseaudi … /#more-192
I have read his articles in planet, thought it was just for mandravia

pingviin · 2010-01-25 11:45:40

Have you guys tried watching movies with VLC using PulseAudio? It's getting worse here, always lags ca. 350ms and if PulseAudio has been running for a few hours then VLC's sound starts to skip and stutter. The only way to fix it then is to restart PulseAudio.
This only happens in VLC, other players are fine.

--edit
I don't want to write Wiki before I'm 100% sure that everything is working the way it should be. VLC is the only setback so far.

Last edited by pingviin (2010-01-25 21:32:10)

venky80 · 2010-01-30 06:59:50

pavucontrol brings lot of gstreamer packages..i am using kde with xine...so PA is incompatible with xine?

Arch Linux

#1 2009-12-23 09:31:21

Bluetooth Headset w\ microphone and multimedia keys [SOLVED]

#2 2009-12-24 21:48:06

Re: Bluetooth Headset w\ microphone and multimedia keys [SOLVED]

#3 2009-12-24 23:09:42

Re: Bluetooth Headset w\ microphone and multimedia keys [SOLVED]

#4 2009-12-28 00:16:21

Re: Bluetooth Headset w\ microphone and multimedia keys [SOLVED]

#5 2009-12-28 17:44:08

Re: Bluetooth Headset w\ microphone and multimedia keys [SOLVED]

#6 2010-01-07 01:53:30

Re: Bluetooth Headset w\ microphone and multimedia keys [SOLVED]

#7 2010-01-07 02:33:53

Re: Bluetooth Headset w\ microphone and multimedia keys [SOLVED]

#8 2010-01-21 21:45:06

Re: Bluetooth Headset w\ microphone and multimedia keys [SOLVED]

#9 2010-01-22 03:24:02

Re: Bluetooth Headset w\ microphone and multimedia keys [SOLVED]

#10 2010-01-22 10:34:33

Re: Bluetooth Headset w\ microphone and multimedia keys [SOLVED]

#11 2010-01-22 10:35:59

Re: Bluetooth Headset w\ microphone and multimedia keys [SOLVED]

#12 2010-01-22 13:50:54

Re: Bluetooth Headset w\ microphone and multimedia keys [SOLVED]

#13 2010-01-23 19:29:25

Re: Bluetooth Headset w\ microphone and multimedia keys [SOLVED]

#14 2010-01-24 16:02:59

Re: Bluetooth Headset w\ microphone and multimedia keys [SOLVED]

#15 2010-01-24 22:24:18

Re: Bluetooth Headset w\ microphone and multimedia keys [SOLVED]

#16 2010-01-24 23:35:20

Re: Bluetooth Headset w\ microphone and multimedia keys [SOLVED]

#17 2010-01-25 07:34:58

Re: Bluetooth Headset w\ microphone and multimedia keys [SOLVED]

#18 2010-01-25 11:45:40

Re: Bluetooth Headset w\ microphone and multimedia keys [SOLVED]

#19 2010-01-30 06:59:50

Re: Bluetooth Headset w\ microphone and multimedia keys [SOLVED]

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