Blueman version 2.1.2 compiled

Jason reported unable to pair a Bluetooth audio device in EasyOS 2.2.12, so I had a go with my Audiosonic E920 speaker, and also failed. Hmmm...

Blueman is the Bluetooth manager, a tray applet and also run via the menu "System -> Blueman Bluetooth Manager". It is from the Debian 10 DEB repository, version 2.0.8.

At the Blueman project site, there is a much later version available, 2.1.2:

https://github.com/blueman-project/blueman

...and from the description, looks like many improvements. So I compiled it, and had no trouble pairing and connecting my Bluetooth mouse, keyboard and speaker. So this will be in the next release of Easy.

The currently-installed Blueman conflicts with the new one, so had to "uninstall" the old one first.

Here are my compile notes:

install:
python-gi-dev <<ignore 'python-gi' dep
cython3

# ln -s cython3 /usr/bin/cython
# ./configure --prefix=/usr --localstatedir=/var --sysconfdir=/etc --build=x86_64-pc-linux-gnu \
  --with-systemdsystemunitdir=no --with-systemduserunitdir=no --disable-schemas-compile \
  --enable-pulseaudio --disable-polkit --disable-runtime-deps-check --disable-static \
  --disable-thunar-sendto --disable-appindicator
# make
# new2dir make install
...installed to /usr/lib/python3.7.site-packages
wrong place, moved contents to /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/
# glib-compile-schemas /usr/share/glib-2.0/schemas

Note that Easy does not have pulseaudio, instead has 'bluez-alsa', which looks like pulseaudio as far as apps are concerned but actually uses alsa. It is necessary to have "--enable-pulseaudio" in the above configure.

Setting up Bluetooth devices is still not as streamlined as on my Android phone. Note also, for the audio device, it is required to go to the menu "Setup -> Multiple Sound Card Wizard" and choose the BT audio device as default output -- then a simple test "aplay /usr/share/sound/2barks.au" will bark on the Bluetooth speaker. 

Tags: easy