Bluetooth - can't browse files in ubuntu 12.10

Question

I can send files to my phone , but I can't browse the files ...

my bluetooth informations :

~$ lsusb | grep Bluetooth 
Bus 002 Device 003: ID 0a5c:21b4 Broadcom Corp. BCM2070 Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR

is it a bug in ubuntu 12.10 ?

Answer 1

There is a known bug for this at https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gvfs/+bug/1057546 .

The solution suggested by user26381 works fine, and if you don't want to use the graphical interface every time you can make a script something like the below (for a Nokia e72) and add it to your path. Since the MAC address of your phone will not change, you only need to setup the script once.

SETUP

sudo apt-get install obexfs #install obexfs tool as recommended above
mkdir ~.e72       #make a directory, the name could be anything.  The dot "hides" it from normal file browsing

hcitool scan      #detect the MAC address for your phone assuming that it has been previously paired via the Bluetooth tray icon.

Now create a script with the following contents, using your MAC address and folder name. In this example the script is in the Gnome scripts folder within my home dir but it could be anywhere. The advantage of the Gnome scripts folder is that you can execute it via the nautilus GUI.

vim ~/.gnome2/nautilus-scripts/e72    #insert the following two lines in the script...
obexfs -b AC:93:2F:29:75:90 ~/.e72
nautilus ~/.e72 &

You will have to make the script executable using the following command: chmod u+x ~/.gnome2/nautilus-scripts/e72

USAGE

Whenever you need to browse the files on your phone just do the following:

1. Activate Bluetooth via tray icon and on your phone (you would have to do this even without the script ;-) )
2. Right click on any file or folder in the right-hand pane of Nautilus and execute Scripts -> e72
3. A new nautilus file explorer window should open, pointing at your phone.

Answer 2

Yes, it's a bug.

You're not the only one. Many people have this exact problem. Sorry, I know of no fix at the moment.

lsusb | grep Bluetooth

Bus 007 Device 004: ID 0a12:0001 Cambridge Silicon Radio, Ltd Bluetooth Dongle (HCI mode)

It may have something to do with mounting the device

Answer 3

This blogpost helped me to get some files off my phone over bluetooth in 12.10

http://ubuntu-answers.blogspot.nl/2011/11/bluetooth-on-ubuntu-1110.html

Btw Installing blueman didn't work for me

Summary with what did work for me:

1 install the package: obexfs from the command line, this can be done with:

sudo apt-get install obexfs

2 pair the phone with the PC (works from the bluetooth icon on the right upper corner of the screen)

3 Get the device MAC and mount it with obexfs:

Do this on the command line with:

hcitool scan

It will reply:

Scanning ... 8F:77:17:77:44:16 Your Phone

Copy the mac adress and mount it on a folder in your home directory, for example on ~/Public

with this command:

obexfs -b 8F:77:17:77:44:16 ~/Public

You can find the files from your phone with your file browser in ~/Public