How to use an external bluetooth speaker in linux
If you want to use an external bluetooth headphone or speaker paired with your computer, there's the small steps to follow:
- Install the needed dependencies:
sudo apt-get install bluetooth blueman bluez pulseaudio-module-bluetooth bluez-firmware
Important notes:
- if you have the "connman" package installed you must uninstall it first or to install "connman-gtk" and enable the bluetooth device, otherwise you won't be able to enable it
- Make sure that your bluetooth is enabled in your bios, if you have it and doesn't appears as an adapter
- Remove the previous pulseaudio configurations, otherwise you will be unable to connect it
rm -r ~/.config/pulse ; pulseaudio -k
- Play some music or any audio in your computer (this is suggested in order to enable the "Audio Sink" option in your pulseaudio system)
- run the bluetooth app (you have it also in your menus)
blueman-applet
- Configure and Pair your bluetooth audio device:
- Turn ON your bluetooth speaker and press the button to start a new pairment with devices
- Select "Devices" from the menu of blueman-applet (should appear as a gadget in the corner, otherwise run the command "blueman-manager")
- Scan / Search for devices
- Right click on your bluetooth device when it appears, select "Pair"
- Right click again, select "Connect" to "Audio Sink" (if you have it, its the preferred one and more compatible)
- Right click again, select "High Fidelity" in your "Audio Profile" section
- Restart your audio / music application, and play some audio again
- Right click again, select "Trust" to remember this device
How to connect the speaker at desktop start
- add blueman to your startup applications
- make sure that the device is on mode "trust"
- on desktop startup, if has not automatically connected, right click on the gadget and select "recent connections"
😄 Enjoy! 😄