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I recently spent 30 minutes figuring out why the Bluetooth pairing process wasn't giving me the pin number I needed to pair my new wireless keyboard. Ugh. Eve

by tcbawo 6y ago

I recently spent 30 minutes figuring out why the Bluetooth pairing process wasn't giving me the pin number I needed to pair my new wireless keyboard. Ugh. Eventually, after searching through forums, I updated the right modules to get it working. I want to use Linux as my daily driver, but I am frustrated by little things that don't work or go wrong.

AlanSE 6y ago
I find myself using my Android phone a lot more when on Linux... just because I have to practically work around some things, because I don't have all day to debug non-essential tasks. For instance, I upgraded Fedora from 32 to 33, and Spotify stopped working. Can this be fixed? I'm absolutely sure it can be fixed. Do I have time? No. I have watched way too many coworkers bomb meetings because of trying to use bluetooth headsets on Linux. Am I trying to cause suffering? No, I will use a headset with the good old headphone jack, because I have something else that I need to do with my actual day.
- lukeschlather 6y ago
  I've actually quit using Bluetooth for Zoom meetings on Windows because it has been too unreliable.
  - sangli 6y ago
    I have done this too, partially. The problem with bluetooth on windows is that it doesn't work in duplex mode. You can't use speaker and mic together on bluetooth. If you disable the module for mic(don't remember what it's called) then the speaker function works perfectly. All the support posts that I read told me that bluetooth is the problem, not windows. But I call BS on that as the bluetooth duplexing works perfectly fine on Linux as well as macos.
    - AshamedCaptain 6y ago
      The support posts are right. Bluetooth is not full-duplex when you are using it in A2DP mode (required for stereo audio).
  - Cloudef 6y ago
    Bluetooth and zoom is very unreliable on my work mac laptop as well.
- crankyoldcrank 6y ago
  I've had similar experiences on Windows and Mac. Computers are finicky and they break sometimes, especially during upgrades.
lukeschlather 6y ago
I've been using Windows for the past couple years for work after mostly using Ubuntu for several years. I felt the same way about Bluetooth but I've found all the Bluetooth problems I thought were "Linux" are just as bad on Windows. But Windows is just a lot more unstable. Every other week there's some new thing that breaks in a confusing way, and it's all closed source shovelware so I can't even figure out what is causing the problem.
- Spearchucker 6y ago
  Counter example I've been using bluetooth for keyboard, mouse and headphones on my Surface Pro 1 since the Surface Pro 1 was released in I think 2013 or 2014. Never reinstalled Windows, and it works to this day as it did on day 1. I use it 3/4 times a week for maybe 5 hours when I'm not at my PC. I used to try Linux once a year or so but gave up doing that a few years ago because there is no single place to go to for answers and it's a time sink. The operating system needs to get out of my way so that I can make software. Windows does that. I'm sure bias has a lot to do with my perception, I'm ok with that.
  - lukeschlather 6y ago
    It might be that the Surface laptops legitimately "just work." I am using a bleeding-edge MSI gaming laptop and its drivers are very bad. Bluetooth is just the easiest problem to identify and point at in a single word.
- watwut 6y ago
  I was using windows for years, both in work and at home. It never ever break up that often for me. Serious question: what is breaking up that often for all? I mean, which part of the system, what it does when it breaks?
- lenkite 6y ago
  Windows updates unstable ? That seems strange. Can you describe what "breaks in a confusing way" ?
smichel17 6y ago
Funny how these things work. For many years while I was dual booting I had a bluetooth receiver that I used regularly with Linux, where it just worked, but was never able to get it working reliably on Windows.
3np 6y ago
Bluetooth is a god damn mess regardless of OS. Probably (I have not tried, just assuming) the one exception being Apple hardware with Apple OS. Especially audio and keyboard. Haven't had any issues with Microsoft mice on Linux, though. knocks on wood

by tcbawo 6y ago

AlanSE 6y ago

I find myself using my Android phone a lot more when on Linux... just because I have to practically work around some things, because I don't have all day to debug non-essential tasks. For instance, I upgraded Fedora from 32 to 33, and Spotify stopped working. Can this be fixed? I'm absolutely sure it can be fixed. Do I have time? No. I have watched way too many coworkers bomb meetings because of trying to use bluetooth headsets on Linux. Am I trying to cause suffering? No, I will use a headset with the good old headphone jack, because I have something else that I need to do with my actual day.

lukeschlather 6y ago
I've actually quit using Bluetooth for Zoom meetings on Windows because it has been too unreliable.
- sangli 6y ago
  I have done this too, partially. The problem with bluetooth on windows is that it doesn't work in duplex mode. You can't use speaker and mic together on bluetooth. If you disable the module for mic(don't remember what it's called) then the speaker function works perfectly. All the support posts that I read told me that bluetooth is the problem, not windows. But I call BS on that as the bluetooth duplexing works perfectly fine on Linux as well as macos.
  - AshamedCaptain 6y ago
    The support posts are right. Bluetooth is not full-duplex when you are using it in A2DP mode (required for stereo audio).
- Cloudef 6y ago
  Bluetooth and zoom is very unreliable on my work mac laptop as well.
crankyoldcrank 6y ago
I've had similar experiences on Windows and Mac. Computers are finicky and they break sometimes, especially during upgrades.

lukeschlather 6y ago

I've been using Windows for the past couple years for work after mostly using Ubuntu for several years. I felt the same way about Bluetooth but I've found all the Bluetooth problems I thought were "Linux" are just as bad on Windows. But Windows is just a lot more unstable. Every other week there's some new thing that breaks in a confusing way, and it's all closed source shovelware so I can't even figure out what is causing the problem.

Spearchucker 6y ago
Counter example I've been using bluetooth for keyboard, mouse and headphones on my Surface Pro 1 since the Surface Pro 1 was released in I think 2013 or 2014. Never reinstalled Windows, and it works to this day as it did on day 1. I use it 3/4 times a week for maybe 5 hours when I'm not at my PC. I used to try Linux once a year or so but gave up doing that a few years ago because there is no single place to go to for answers and it's a time sink. The operating system needs to get out of my way so that I can make software. Windows does that. I'm sure bias has a lot to do with my perception, I'm ok with that.
- lukeschlather 6y ago
  It might be that the Surface laptops legitimately "just work." I am using a bleeding-edge MSI gaming laptop and its drivers are very bad. Bluetooth is just the easiest problem to identify and point at in a single word.
watwut 6y ago
I was using windows for years, both in work and at home. It never ever break up that often for me. Serious question: what is breaking up that often for all? I mean, which part of the system, what it does when it breaks?
lenkite 6y ago
Windows updates unstable ? That seems strange. Can you describe what "breaks in a confusing way" ?

smichel17 6y ago

Funny how these things work. For many years while I was dual booting I had a bluetooth receiver that I used regularly with Linux, where it just worked, but was never able to get it working reliably on Windows.

3np 6y ago

Bluetooth is a god damn mess regardless of OS. Probably (I have not tried, just assuming) the one exception being Apple hardware with Apple OS. Especially audio and keyboard. Haven't had any issues with Microsoft mice on Linux, though. knocks on wood