Fri Dec 16 21:13:10 CET 2005 taken from http://www.bluez.org/faq.html

Frequently asked questions

general questions

   1. What is BlueZ?
           BlueZ is official Linux Bluetooth protocol stack. It is an Open
           Source project distributed under GNU General Public License (GPL).
           BlueZ kernel is part of the official Linux kernel since version
           2.4.6.

   2. Where can I download BlueZ packages?
           You can download all BlueZ packages from [14]this page.

   3. Whom do I contact for support?
           Please send your suggestions, questions and problem descriptions
           to the [15]users mailing list.

   4. Who is developing BlueZ?
           BlueZ was originally developed by Qualcomm Incorporated. It is now
           an Open Source project with many contributors through out the
           world. Look at the [16]credits for more details.

   5. What platforms are supported?
           Most platforms supported by 2.4.x and newer Linux kernels. Please
           click [17]here for a complete list of supported platforms and
           hardware.

   6. What do I need to use Bluetooth on Linux?
           You need Linux system with 2.4.x or newer kernel, BlueZ user space
           packages and a Bluetooth device. If you do not have actual
           Bluetooth device you could use HCI Emulation daemon provided in
           BlueZ-HCIEmu package.

   7. What Bluetooth protocol and layers are supported by Linux?
           Linux kernel supports all core Bluetooth protocols and layers.
           Look at the [18]feature list or read the [19]protocols
           descriptions.

   8. What interfaces are available for Bluetooth applications?
           Linux provides standard Berkeley socket interface to all Bluetooth
           layers. The RFCOMM layer also provides a TTY interface.

   9. Does Linux provide interface to the L2CAP layer?
           Yes. L2CAP layer provides Berkeley socket interface.

   10. Does Linux support multiple Bluetooth devices?
           Yes. You can have several Bluetooth devices connected to one
           computer.

   11. Does Linux support multiple Bluetooth connections?
           Yes. All Linux Bluetooth layers support multiple connections.

   12. Does Linux have kernel support for RFCOMM protocol?
           Yes. Both RFCOMM socket and TTY interfaces are supported.

   13. Does Linux support Bluetooth security?
           Yes. Connection and Service (PSM) level security are supported.

   14. What Bluetooth hardware is supported by Linux?
           Please visit the [20]hardware list.

   15. Do I still need BlueZ-Kernel package?
           No. You should upgrade to the latest 2.4.x or 2.6.x Linux kernel.

   16. What if I don't want to upgrade but I do want latest Bluetooth
   features?
           We have patches for all Linux kernel's from 2.4.18 onwards. You
           can find them [21]here.

   17. What is 'rfcommd'?
           RFCOMMd (or rfcommd) is the user space implementation of the
           RFCOMM protocol. It was replaced by RFCOMM kernel module and
           shouldn't be used anymore.

   18. RFCOMM connection using minicom or other tool fails?
           In case you have created the RFCOMM link using the "rfcomm bind"
           function this can be caused by application timeouts. This is not a
           problem of BlueZ or the RFCOMM implementation but rather a problem
           with the different nature of a RFCOMM virtual TTY and a physical
           serial TTY device which is normally used by those applications.
           Some applications implement a timeout protection function while
           opening the port. If opening the port takes longer than a certain
           amount of time then the application fails. A serial TTY will
           usually only take several microseconds to open while the RFCOMM
           virtual TTY can take several seconds. Try to create the connection
           before starting your application. This can be done by the "rfcomm
           connect" function. The Bluetooth connection will then remain until
           the rfcomm utility is stopped.

   Copyright  2000-2005 BlueZ Project. All Rights Reserved.

References

   Visible links
   1. http://www.bluez.org/
   2. http://www.bluez.org/documentation.html
   3. http://www.bluez.org/download.html
   4. http://www.bluez.org/development.html
   5. http://www.bluez.org/links.html
   6. http://www.bluez.org/contact.html
   7. http://sourceforge.net/projects/bluez
   8. http://www.bluez.org/documentation.html
   9. http://www.bluez.org/faq.html
  10. http://www.bluez.org/protocols.html
  11. http://www.bluez.org/profiles.html
  12. http://www.bluez.org/drivers.html
  13. http://www.bluez.org/hardware.html
  14. http://www.bluez.org/download.html
  15. http://www.bluez.org/lists.html
  16. http://www.bluez.org/credits.html
  17. http://www.bluez.org/about.html
  18. http://www.bluez.org/about.html
  19. http://www.bluez.org/protocols.html
  20. http://www.bluez.org/hardware.html
  21. http://www.bluez.org/patches.html
