I figured others might be interested in how to get a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse connected to their unRAID server so i wrote this short guide as my introductory post to the unRAID forums.

 

I realize there’s probably limited use for this, but in my case I have a multi device keyboard and mouse

and I can switch between them easily which is why I am using this on unRAID, it’s convenient for me.

 

System Requirements

You need to be running at least 6.7 as this includes the Bluetooth kernel drivers, you also need to install NerdPack and select the bluez package.

 

Getting it all Working

Once you’ve satisfied the system requirements, open a terminal on unRAID and execute:

 

/etc/rc.d/rc.bluetooth start
bluetoothctl

 

You should see Agent Registered and be at the Bluetooth prompt:

 

Put your device in pairing mode and execute:

 

scan on

 

You should see the device appear in the list as it scans, note the <address> then execute:

 

pair <address>

 

Note: After the pair you might get promoted to do something like enter a passcode in the case of a keyboard, enter the displayed number and press return. Repeat the pairing process for any other devices.

 

Once pairing is confirmed on screen, execute:

 

trust <address>
connect <address>

 

Type “exit” to quit.

 

Now we need to make this configuration persistent across boots, so execute:

 

cd /var/lib
tar -czvf /boot/config/bluetooth.tgz bluetooth

 

Note: This saves the paired devices to an archive, you will need to repeat this step if you pair other devices in the future.

 

Edit the go.cfg config file so it restores the Bluetooth configuration and start the Bluetooth daemon from the go file on boot.

 

cd /boot/config
nano go

 

Before the line that starts emhttp add the following lines:

 

tar xvzf /boot/config/bluetooth.tgz -C /var/lib

/etc/rc.d/rc.bluetooth start

hciconfig hci0 up

 

Hit ctrl-x and then press y to save the modified go file.

That’s it, upon reboot the Bluetooth configuration will be restored before the service is started.

Edited September 9, 20214 yr by nerdzero

Thanks for providing this!

 

I had some problems connecting after pair + trust.  I was getting the error "org.bluez.Error.Failed".  I followed some other instructions on StackOverflow to do

 

untrust <addr>
remove <addr>

I then ran

 

connect <addr>
trust <addr>

 

The pairing took place automatically after connecting.

Hi, I have followed your steps in configuring a Bluetooth dongle to connect Logitech MX keys on Unraid server. I was capable of scan, pair, trust and connect as you suggested. But in the end when typing on the keyboard no response. 

Hello,

 

I had this working on Unraid v6, but since NerdPack is no longer supported on v7, is there any other method?

 

Thank you

Ya, this one is a bust. It was always hit or miss for me, so I went with the path of least resistance and went with a corded setup instead.

Edited January 26, 20251 yr by nerdzero

Or one of the Logitech (and probably others) wireless keyboards that use a USB dongle.

Ya Logitech wireless dongles tend to be flaky and unreliable in my experience...