[Pkg-bluetooth-maintainers] Bug#477838: bluez-utils: hidd is deprecated, use "input service" instead

[Phil Endecott]

Package: bluez-utils
Version: 3.30-3
Severity: wishlist


This report is based on the following message from the bluez users mailing list:
http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.linux.bluez.user/13828/focus=13831

I had set up my bluetooth keyboard based on the instructions in 
/usr/share/doc/bluez-utils/README.Debian, i.e. starting hidd --server by enabling it in 
/etc/default/bluetooth, running hcitool scan, and then hidd --conect <addr>.  This method is 
now deprecated; instead we should use something called the "input service" over dbus.  See 
the following page, which contains examples of dbus-send commands to do this:
http://wiki.bluez.org/wiki/HOWTO/InputDevices

As a humble user, it looks to me as if the old commands were much mmore usable.  However, 
the bluez developers no doubt have their reasons for this change and the Debian package will 
inevitably have to adapt eventually when the old commands change from being "deprecated" to 
"gone".

I have not actually tried any of these new dbus-send commands myself....

Phil.


-- System Information:
Debian Release: testing/unstable
  APT prefers unstable
  APT policy: (500, 'unstable'), (500, 'testing'), (500, 'stable')
Architecture: i386 (i686)
Shell:  /bin/sh linked to /bin/bash
Kernel: Linux 2.6.25
Locale: LANG=en_GB.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_GB.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)

Versions of packages bluez-utils depends on:
ii  dbus                          1.2.1-1    simple interprocess messaging syst
ii  libbluetooth2                 3.30-1     Library to use the BlueZ Linux Blu
ii  libc6                         2.7-10     GNU C Library: Shared libraries
ii  libdbus-1-3                   1.2.1-1    simple interprocess messaging syst
ii  libglib2.0-0                  2.12.4-2   The GLib library of C routines
ii  libusb-0.1-4                  2:0.1.12-2 userspace USB programming library
ii  lsb-base                      3.2-10     Linux Standard Base 3.2 init scrip
ii  makedev                       2.3.1-80   creates device files in /dev
ii  module-init-tools             3.2.2-2    tools for managing Linux kernel mo
ii  udev                          0.103-1    /dev/ and hotplug management daemo

Versions of packages bluez-utils recommends:
pn  bluez-audio                   <none>     (no description available)

-- no debconf information