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    Please do not post a support request without first reading and following the advice in https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/3/read-this-first

    PI 3 + PS3 Bluetooth controller freeze fix. UPDATED

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    • E
      eightbit
      last edited by

      I foresaw there being a BT issue in retropie when I saw the release notes for Raspian on Distrowatch yesterday from Simon Long:

      "We've just released a new version of our Raspbian image with some (hopefully) useful features. When the Pi 3 launched back in February, we'd not had time to do much in terms of getting access to the new on-board Bluetooth hardware. There was a working software stack, but the UI was non-existent. I'd hoped to be able to use one of the existing Linux Bluetooth UIs, but on trying them all, none were really what I was looking for in terms of usability and integration with the look and feel of the desktop. I really didn't want to write one from scratch, but that ended up being what I did, which meant a fun few weeks trying to make head or tail of the mysteries of BlueZ and D-Bus. After a few false starts, I finally got something I felt was usable, and so there is now a Bluetooth plugin for the LXPanel taskbar."

      So, the new bluetooth module does fix BT in LXDE...but apparently breaks in in Retropie. The short term solution is to downgrade it as stated in the previous post (although I have yet to confirm that...but I see no reason why it would not work) but again it is a short term solution. The solution is not to suppress the update but to fix the compatibility issue in Retropie. Hopefully we'll see a v3.8 with compatibility with the new BT module fixed so that we can enjoy the best of all worlds.

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      • E
        eightbit
        last edited by eightbit

        After a dist-upgrade, do:

        wget http://archive.raspberrypi.org/debian/pool/main/p/pi-bluetooth/pi-bluetooth_0.1.0_armhf.deb

        and

        sudo dpkg -i pi-bluetooth_0.1.0_armhf.deb

        Reboot afterward. If hciconfig give you an output the bluetooth is working again.

        This will downgrade the bluetooth module and allow the PS3 controller (and other BT devices) to work again. Best part is now that the kernel has been updated the freezing no longer exists. I have been using the PS3 controller all night without a freeze.

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        • Wolfman100W
          Wolfman100
          last edited by

          what way can I check what version of the bluetooth module is installed from the commandline and also how to check if the bluetooth module is seeing the controller at commandline level?

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          • E
            eightbit @Wolfman100
            last edited by

            @Wolfman100

            If you download the pi-bluetooth_0.1.0_armhf.deb and do a sudo dpkg -i pi-bluetooth_0.1.0_armhf.deb, you will get a warning that you are downgrading the file. You will then know you are running the newer version that is not working. You can allow the downgrade.

            I believe you can do an hcitool dev to show all on devices if I remember correctly. Don't quote me on that though...

            Wolfman100W 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • Wolfman100W
              Wolfman100 @eightbit
              last edited by

              @eightbit Thanks for that info.I will have a look at that this evening.I am running RetroPie installed in OSMC and am wondering whether this is causing some kind of Bluetooth conflict between 'bluetoothctl' and 'sixpair'.

              I have a bluetooth keyboard which works flawlessly with this setup and also works within RetroPie.This leads me to believe that because this Bluetooth keyboard is working in RetroPie that RetroPie is using Bluetoothctl which OSMC is using rather than enabling SIxpair?

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              • Wolfman100W
                Wolfman100
                last edited by

                I have tried the downgrade but encountered the following error:

                root@osmc://# sudo apt-get install rpi-update
                Reading package lists... Done
                Building dependency tree
                Reading state information... Done
                E: Unable to locate package rpi-update
                root@osmc://# wget http://archive.raspberrypi.org/debian/pool/main/p/pi-bluetooth/pi-bluetooth_0.1.0_armhf.deb
                --2016-05-16 12:04:03-- http://archive.raspberrypi.org/debian/pool/main/p/pi-bluetooth/pi-bluetooth_0.1.0_armhf.deb
                Resolving archive.raspberrypi.org (archive.raspberrypi.org)... 93.93.135.188, 93.93.128.133, 93.93.130.236, ...
                Connecting to archive.raspberrypi.org (archive.raspberrypi.org)|93.93.135.188|:80... connected.
                HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK
                Length: 3182 (3.1K) [application/x-debian-package]
                Saving to: ‘pi-bluetooth_0.1.0_armhf.deb’

                pi-bluetooth_0.1.0_ 100%[=====================>] 3.11K --.-KB/s in 0.001s

                2016-05-16 12:04:03 (2.75 MB/s) - ‘pi-bluetooth_0.1.0_armhf.deb’ saved [3182/3182]

                root@osmc://# sudo dpkg -i pi-bluetooth_0.1.0_armhf.deb
                Selecting previously unselected package pi-bluetooth.
                (Reading database ... 51347 files and directories currently installed.)
                Preparing to unpack pi-bluetooth_0.1.0_armhf.deb ...
                Unpacking pi-bluetooth (0.1.0) ...
                dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of pi-bluetooth:
                pi-bluetooth depends on bluez-firmware; however:
                Package bluez-firmware is not installed.

                dpkg: error processing package pi-bluetooth (--install):
                dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
                Errors were encountered while processing:
                pi-bluetooth
                root@osmc://#

                It says package bluez-firmware is not installed.It must be though otherwise I wouldn't be able to use my bluetooth keyboard right?!Could this be that I am doing it as a root user under OSMC?

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                • S
                  smoothmalik
                  last edited by

                  ive literary tried every step in this thread and now my controller when i press to connect to BT connects and then the system freezes up right after ...Is there a legit clean way to get this thing working without a million different steps?

                  RascasR 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • RascasR
                    Rascas @smoothmalik
                    last edited by Rascas

                    @smoothmalik if you read the first post, you only need one step and it is to update and upgrade. It works for me so I cannot see why it wont work for others. I had already installed the package raspberrypi-sys-mods so check if you have that installed also.

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                    • S
                      smoothmalik @Rascas
                      last edited by

                      @Rascas I started with the first post and nothing worked so I kept going down the thread to other suggestions which lead to where i am now lol fucked...im prolly just gonna do another clean install and try this for like the 3rd time...

                      RascasR 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • RascasR
                        Rascas @smoothmalik
                        last edited by

                        @smoothmalik Besides the PS3 gamepad install, it is just 2 more commands, pretty easy ;)

                        S 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • O
                          opensourcefan
                          last edited by

                          Attempting to downgrade and I get the following:

                          dpkg-deb: error: 'pi-bluetooth_0.1.0_armhf.deb' is not a debian format archive

                          What am I suppose to do with that...

                          RPI3, v 3.7 from SD Image, Last update, Bluetooth v1.0, Child-Friendly ES, 3 amp Power Supply, Case w/fan.

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                          • BuZzB
                            BuZz administrators
                            last edited by BuZz

                            You didn't download it correctly I guess. But you don't need to downgrade - install raspberrypi-sys-mods

                            To help us help you - please make sure you read the sticky topics before posting - https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/3/read-this-first

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                            • O
                              opensourcefan
                              last edited by opensourcefan

                              I did double check the download but I'll try install aspberrypi-sys-mods and see what happens. What should happen?

                              EDIT: you meant install raspberrypi-sys-mods correct, with the 'r' in front?

                              RPI3, v 3.7 from SD Image, Last update, Bluetooth v1.0, Child-Friendly ES, 3 amp Power Supply, Case w/fan.

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                              • O
                                opensourcefan
                                last edited by

                                I confirmed my download and re-downloaded it a couple times, that didn't work. I took the deb off of another card that I had and it downgraded just fine.

                                I don't know what sys-mods is so I'll learn about it before trying it.

                                RPI3, v 3.7 from SD Image, Last update, Bluetooth v1.0, Child-Friendly ES, 3 amp Power Supply, Case w/fan.

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                                • BuZzB
                                  BuZz administrators
                                  last edited by BuZz

                                  I did - the R got lost somewhere :-) sudo apt-get install raspberrypi-sys-mods answer Y if it asks about overwriting a file

                                  To help us help you - please make sure you read the sticky topics before posting - https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/3/read-this-first

                                  1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • S
                                    smoothmalik @Rascas
                                    last edited by

                                    @Rascas I'm goin to do a fresh install. after emulationstation loads what steps do I absolutely need to do and in what order?

                                    RascasR 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • RascasR
                                      Rascas @smoothmalik
                                      last edited by

                                      @smoothmalik You do only the 2 commands in the first post, after the "EDIT". Than install the PS3 commands, check the wiki if you dont know how. That is only it.

                                      S 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • S
                                        smoothmalik @Rascas
                                        last edited by smoothmalik

                                        @Rascas
                                        sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
                                        sudo apt-get install raspberrypi-sys-mods

                                        worked like a charm!!! THANKS

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                                        • PokeEngineerP
                                          PokeEngineer
                                          last edited by

                                          You can close this issue now...

                                          I have updated the Bluetooth page on the wiki: https://github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup/wiki/Setting-up-a-Bluetooth-controller

                                          Don't sweat it.
                                          When in doubt, take a BYTE out of life.

                                          😎

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                                          • Z
                                            zupi
                                            last edited by

                                            After applying all the aforementioned updates and even some recipes combining a mix of them, I still get freezes on psx games as soon as i disconnect the usb cable and go all the way wireless. The rest of the setup seem to work fine. :/

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