bluez pairing before exchange - bluetooth

Question

I'm using code from An Introduction to Bluetooth Programming ► Chapter 4. Bluetooth programming in C with BlueZ4.2. ► RFCOMM sockets to send messages between two Raspberry Pi.
However, if I don't make the pairing between two devices through the bluetoothctl, I can't use the client because it gives me error:
uh oh: Invalid exchange.
Can you give me some hints on how can I make the pair through the C code? I need to use this "automatically" without need to pairing through the bluetoothctl before the C code.

Answer 1

Before getting into my answer, I am not sure how to achieve this using "libbluetooth" API's. But my below answer is based on DBUS API using GDBUS. This should most likely work with any recent bluez (with bluetoothd) running.
Note, with Bluez5 it's recommended to use DBUS API's.
To brief, you need to develop an Agent which accepts the Pairing request automatically, assuming "Confirmation" agent here. Please refer agent capabilities here.
With recent bluez version (atleast 5.47+), we have a new API "ConnectDevice" which can be used to connect device without scanning/discovery. From your question, I understand that you are trying to communicate between two RPi's, so you can find the BT address for both the bluetooth controllers. With BT address in places,
/*
* bluez_adapter_connect.c - Connect with device without StartDiscovery
* - This example registers an agen with NoInputOutput capability for the purpose of
* auto pairing
* - Use ConnectDevice method to connect with device using provided MAC address
* - Usual signal subscription to get the details of the connected device
* - Introduced new signal handler to exit the program gracefully
*
* Note: As "ConnectDevice" is new API and in experimental state (but mostly stable)
* one need to use "-E" option when starting "bluetoothd". Systems running systemd can
* edit /lib/systemd/system/bluetooth.service in ExecStart option
*
* When this API is useful?
* - When you already have the MAC address of end bluetooth Device to connect with, then
* you don't need to scan for the device (with or without filter) and connect it.
* - StartDiscovery + Pair + Connect => ConnectDevice
*
* How you will have MAC address before scanning?
* - When you have other communication (wired or wireless) medium to exchange the MAC address
* - For example, NFC OOB can be used to exchange the MAC address
* - Testing Bluetooth with same device (MAC address known)
*
* - Here Agent capability is registered as "NoInputOutput" for experimental purpose only, in
* real world scenario, Pair + Connect involves real Agents.
* - Also note, bluez_agent_call_method and bluez_adapter_call_method are two different methods doing
* the same work with difference in interface name and object path. This exist just to make the
* understanding more clear.
*
* gcc `pkg-config --cflags glib-2.0 gio-2.0` -Wall -Wextra -o ./bin/bluez_adapter_connect ./bluez_adapter_connect.c `pkg-config --libs glib-2.0 gio-2.0`
*/
#include <glib.h>
#include <gio/gio.h>
#include <signal.h>
GMainLoop *loop;
GDBusConnection *con;
static void bluez_property_value(const gchar *key, GVariant *value)
{
const gchar *type = g_variant_get_type_string(value);
g_print("\t%s : ", key);
switch(*type) {
case 'o':
case 's':
g_print("%s\n", g_variant_get_string(value, NULL));
break;
case 'b':
g_print("%d\n", g_variant_get_boolean(value));
break;
case 'u':
g_print("%d\n", g_variant_get_uint32(value));
break;
case 'a':
/* TODO Handling only 'as', but not array of dicts */
if(g_strcmp0(type, "as"))
break;
g_print("\n");
const gchar *uuid;
GVariantIter i;
g_variant_iter_init(&i, value);
while(g_variant_iter_next(&i, "s", &uuid))
g_print("\t\t%s\n", uuid);
break;
default:
g_print("Other\n");
break;
}
}
typedef void (*method_cb_t)(GObject *, GAsyncResult *, gpointer);
static int bluez_adapter_call_method(const char *method, GVariant *param, method_cb_t method_cb)
{
g_dbus_connection_call(con,
"org.bluez",
/* TODO Find the adapter path runtime */
"/org/bluez/hci0",
"org.bluez.Adapter1",
method,
param,
NULL,
G_DBUS_CALL_FLAGS_NONE,
-1,
NULL,
method_cb,
(void *)method);
return 0;
}
static void bluez_result_async_cb(GObject *con,
GAsyncResult *res,
gpointer data)
{
const gchar *key = (gchar *)data;
GVariant *result = NULL;
GError *error = NULL;
result = g_dbus_connection_call_finish((GDBusConnection *)con, res, &error);
if(error != NULL) {
g_print("Unable to get result: %s\n", error->message);
return;
}
if(result) {
result = g_variant_get_child_value(result, 0);
bluez_property_value(key, result);
}
g_variant_unref(result);
}
static void bluez_device_appeared(GDBusConnection *sig,
const gchar *sender_name,
const gchar *object_path,
const gchar *interface,
const gchar *signal_name,
GVariant *parameters,
gpointer user_data)
{
(void)sig;
(void)sender_name;
(void)object_path;
(void)interface;
(void)signal_name;
(void)user_data;
GVariantIter *interfaces;
const char *object;
const gchar *interface_name;
GVariant *properties;
g_variant_get(parameters, "(&oa{sa{sv}})", &object, &interfaces);
while(g_variant_iter_next(interfaces, "{&s#a{sv}}", &interface_name, &properties)) {
if(g_strstr_len(g_ascii_strdown(interface_name, -1), -1, "device")) {
g_print("[ %s ]\n", object);
const gchar *property_name;
GVariantIter i;
GVariant *prop_val;
g_variant_iter_init(&i, properties);
while(g_variant_iter_next(&i, "{&sv}", &property_name, &prop_val))
bluez_property_value(property_name, prop_val);
g_variant_unref(prop_val);
}
g_variant_unref(properties);
}
return;
}
#define BT_ADDRESS_STRING_SIZE 18
static void bluez_device_disappeared(GDBusConnection *sig,
const gchar *sender_name,
const gchar *object_path,
const gchar *interface,
const gchar *signal_name,
GVariant *parameters,
gpointer user_data)
{
(void)sig;
(void)sender_name;
(void)object_path;
(void)interface;
(void)signal_name;
GVariantIter *interfaces;
const char *object;
const gchar *interface_name;
char address[BT_ADDRESS_STRING_SIZE] = {'\0'};
g_variant_get(parameters, "(&oas)", &object, &interfaces);
while(g_variant_iter_next(interfaces, "s", &interface_name)) {
if(g_strstr_len(g_ascii_strdown(interface_name, -1), -1, "device")) {
int i;
char *tmp = g_strstr_len(object, -1, "dev_") + 4;
for(i = 0; *tmp != '\0'; i++, tmp++) {
if(*tmp == '_') {
address[i] = ':';
continue;
}
address[i] = *tmp;
}
g_print("\nDevice %s removed\n", address);
g_main_loop_quit((GMainLoop *)user_data);
}
}
return;
}
static void bluez_signal_adapter_changed(GDBusConnection *conn,
const gchar *sender,
const gchar *path,
const gchar *interface,
const gchar *signal,
GVariant *params,
void *userdata)
{
(void)conn;
(void)sender;
(void)path;
(void)interface;
(void)userdata;
GVariantIter *properties = NULL;
GVariantIter *unknown = NULL;
const char *iface;
const char *key;
GVariant *value = NULL;
const gchar *signature = g_variant_get_type_string(params);
if(strcmp(signature, "(sa{sv}as)") != 0) {
g_print("Invalid signature for %s: %s != %s", signal, signature, "(sa{sv}as)");
goto done;
}
g_variant_get(params, "(&sa{sv}as)", &iface, &properties, &unknown);
while(g_variant_iter_next(properties, "{&sv}", &key, &value)) {
if(!g_strcmp0(key, "Powered")) {
if(!g_variant_is_of_type(value, G_VARIANT_TYPE_BOOLEAN)) {
g_print("Invalid argument type for %s: %s != %s", key,
g_variant_get_type_string(value), "b");
goto done;
}
g_print("Adapter is Powered \"%s\"\n", g_variant_get_boolean(value) ? "on" : "off");
}
if(!g_strcmp0(key, "Discovering")) {
if(!g_variant_is_of_type(value, G_VARIANT_TYPE_BOOLEAN)) {
g_print("Invalid argument type for %s: %s != %s", key,
g_variant_get_type_string(value), "b");
goto done;
}
g_print("Adapter scan \"%s\"\n", g_variant_get_boolean(value) ? "on" : "off");
}
}
done:
if(properties != NULL)
g_variant_iter_free(properties);
if(value != NULL)
g_variant_unref(value);
}
static int bluez_adapter_set_property(const char *prop, GVariant *value)
{
GVariant *result;
GError *error = NULL;
result = g_dbus_connection_call_sync(con,
"org.bluez",
"/org/bluez/hci0",
"org.freedesktop.DBus.Properties",
"Set",
g_variant_new("(ssv)", "org.bluez.Adapter1", prop, value),
NULL,
G_DBUS_CALL_FLAGS_NONE,
-1,
NULL,
&error);
if(error != NULL)
return 1;
g_variant_unref(result);
return 0;
}
static int bluez_adapter_connect_device(char **argv)
{
int rc;
GVariantBuilder *b = g_variant_builder_new(G_VARIANT_TYPE_VARDICT);
g_variant_builder_add(b, "{sv}", "Address", g_variant_new_string(argv[1]));
GVariant *device_dict = g_variant_builder_end(b);
g_variant_builder_unref(b);
rc = bluez_adapter_call_method("ConnectDevice",
g_variant_new_tuple(&device_dict, 1),
bluez_result_async_cb);
if(rc) {
g_print("Not able to call ConnectDevice\n");
return 1;
}
return 0;
}
#define AGENT_PATH "/org/bluez/AutoPinAgent"
static int bluez_agent_call_method(const gchar *method, GVariant *param)
{
GVariant *result;
GError *error = NULL;
result = g_dbus_connection_call_sync(con,
"org.bluez",
"/org/bluez",
"org.bluez.AgentManager1",
method,
param,
NULL,
G_DBUS_CALL_FLAGS_NONE,
-1,
NULL,
&error);
if(error != NULL) {
g_print("Register %s: %s\n", AGENT_PATH, error->message);
return 1;
}
g_variant_unref(result);
return 0;
}
static int bluez_register_autopair_agent(void)
{
int rc;
rc = bluez_agent_call_method("RegisterAgent", g_variant_new("(os)", AGENT_PATH, "NoInputNoOutput"));
if(rc)
return 1;
rc = bluez_agent_call_method("RequestDefaultAgent", g_variant_new("(o)", AGENT_PATH));
if(rc) {
bluez_agent_call_method("UnregisterAgent", g_variant_new("(o)", AGENT_PATH));
return 1;
}
return 0;
}
static void cleanup_handler(int signo)
{
if (signo == SIGINT) {
g_print("received SIGINT\n");
g_main_loop_quit(loop);
}
}
int main(int argc, char **argv)
{
int rc;
guint prop_changed;
guint iface_added;
guint iface_removed;
if(signal(SIGINT, cleanup_handler) == SIG_ERR)
g_print("can't catch SIGINT\n");
con = g_bus_get_sync(G_BUS_TYPE_SYSTEM, NULL, NULL);
if(con == NULL) {
g_print("Not able to get connection to system bus\n");
return 1;
}
loop = g_main_loop_new(NULL, FALSE);
prop_changed = g_dbus_connection_signal_subscribe(con,
"org.bluez",
"org.freedesktop.DBus.Properties",
"PropertiesChanged",
NULL,
"org.bluez.Adapter1",
G_DBUS_SIGNAL_FLAGS_NONE,
bluez_signal_adapter_changed,
NULL,
NULL);
iface_added = g_dbus_connection_signal_subscribe(con,
"org.bluez",
"org.freedesktop.DBus.ObjectManager",
"InterfacesAdded",
NULL,
NULL,
G_DBUS_SIGNAL_FLAGS_NONE,
bluez_device_appeared,
loop,
NULL);
iface_removed = g_dbus_connection_signal_subscribe(con,
"org.bluez",
"org.freedesktop.DBus.ObjectManager",
"InterfacesRemoved",
NULL,
NULL,
G_DBUS_SIGNAL_FLAGS_NONE,
bluez_device_disappeared,
loop,
NULL);
rc = bluez_adapter_set_property("Powered", g_variant_new("b", TRUE));
if(rc) {
g_print("Not able to enable the adapter\n");
goto fail;
}
rc = bluez_register_autopair_agent();
if(rc) {
g_print("Not able to register default autopair agent\n");
goto fail;
}
if(argc == 2) {
rc = bluez_adapter_connect_device(argv);
if(rc)
goto fail;
}
g_main_loop_run(loop);
rc = bluez_adapter_set_property("Powered", g_variant_new("b", FALSE));
if(rc)
g_print("Not able to disable the adapter\n");
fail:
g_dbus_connection_signal_unsubscribe(con, prop_changed);
g_dbus_connection_signal_unsubscribe(con, iface_added);
g_dbus_connection_signal_unsubscribe(con, iface_removed);
g_object_unref(con);
return 0;
}
you should be able to use the above program to connect the device. Here in this example, the agent is registered as "NoInputOutput" capability, something like bluetooth headphones, so that no pairing response is required.
But you should modify this example to client side (assuming this example going to run in RPi 1 as server, modify this to accept request in client side RPi 2).
You can find the detailed explanation about this example here and also some relevant GDBUS based examples here.