Irritating Mouse

[willyum]

This is a very minor irritation, but I would like to find an answer if there is one. I recently purchased a Bluetooth mouse that I like very much. When I first got it, it worked great. Sometime later, it started having problems in two ways: Sometimes, when the computer laptop awakes from sleep, the Bluetooth adapter does not wake with it. All I have to do is click the icon in the task bar and turn it on. Even if Bluetooth does wake up or when I turn it on, the mouse quits maybe 30 seconds later. All I have to do then is turn the bottom mouse switch off and on and it works fine for the rest of the session.
Any clues as to what is happening and is there a correction?

 

[wendy-lebaron]

Please indicate what Linux OS you are using, (sorry took notice it's Fedora sub-forum), and what computer you are using it on, and what is the model of your mouse so you could be helped. Use "inxi" command-line program. If it doesn't exist, install it. Use the terminal because it might not be listed with KDE Discovery or GNOME Software.

sudo dnf install inxi

Use inxi to Get All Kind of System Information in Linux

inxi is a handy script that provides you with the system hardware and software information about the Linux system it is executed on. Learn more about using it.

itsfoss.com

Now I have to tell you what are the switches that program uses so it displays enough information...

Try:

inxi -CEM

-C = gives info about the CPU
-E = Bluetooth devices
-M = machine info such as computer model

BTW that page has inaccurate information about Arch Linux, "inxi" is not in the AUR!

Copy whatever it prints to the clipboard, and paste it into this forum, between "code" blocks. Paste the text, then press the three-dot column button that is near the "image" icon. From the new set of icons there choose the last one which puts the whole text into "code" tags so it's easier to read than this displayed text.

 

[willyum]

Machine:
  Type: Convertible System: LENOVO product: 20FRS1LE00 v: ThinkPad X1 Yoga 1st
    serial: R90M18WN
  Mobo: LENOVO model: 20FRS1LE00 v: SDK0J40697 WIN serial: W1KS6B2103J
    UEFI: LENOVO v: N1FET74W (1.48 ) date: 11/12/2020
CPU:
  Info: dual core model: Intel Core i7-6600U bits: 64 type: MT MCP cache:
    L2: 512 KiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 1374 min/max: 400/3400 cores: 1: 899 2: 2800 3: 900
    4: 900
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Intel Bluetooth wireless interface type: USB driver: btusb
  Report: bt-adapter ID: hci0 state: up address: F0:D5:BF:62:82:C9

OS is Fedora 38 with Cinnamon desktop
The mouse is a Logitech M720 Triathlon.

By the way, for what it may be worth, when I use the mouse in Windows (on the same computer), it does not have the above problems.

Thanks. Hope this helps

 

[MikeWalsh]

I have - amongst many others - an MX Master 2 from Logitech. You have the choice of connecting via Bluetooth, or using the included Unifying receiver.

Personally, if I ever had to use the Bluetooth connection, it would only be because I was FORCED to, and had no other choice. Reason? Simple.....because I have no use for it, and have absolutely no interest in ever using it. And unlike most people that run Linux, who buy something simply because they like the "look" of it, then spend ages trying to force it to work, I always do my research first. I put together a list of items I'd be happy with that will connect the way I want them to (and which I know are supported by the kernel)....and then whittle that down to one that's the most suitable. Looks & fancy features don't interest me; I'm more concerned with functionality, and buying something guaranteed to work OOTB.

So I use the Unifying receiver. Admittedly, I can perhaps understand many folks wishing to use the 'alternate' connection, since it's usually internal......and doesn't block up a USB port, of which most laptops don't have many. This HP desktop rig, courtesy of an extra self-powered hub, gives me a total of 17 ports to play with.

So I don't have the problem of running out of ports. And no; most folks aren't usually lucky enough to be in such a position. I'll be the first to admit that.

I also live in a very quiet street, almost entirely retired folks, and don't have the problem of localised overload on the 2.4 GHz band. Which also helps....!

(Actually, I looked at this one while I was looking around and eventually ended up with the MX Master. Same as mine; Unifying AND Bluetooth......so I have to conclude you're wanting to free-up an additional USB port. Yes?)


Mike.

 

[APTI]

is this actually a blue tooth mouse that you have to pair? or does it have its own usb dongle that is dedicated to that mouse and is always paired without you having to do anything at all? What I saw when I looked it up it was the latter. I think.

Since it works fine in windows I would check not on the mouse but on the usb ports and how Fedora is handling them. Check power management for them.

 

[willyum]

This mouse can be used either way, but I'm using it paired up with a bluetooth connection. I used to use a usb dongle, but somewhere along the way there started to be a conflict with the computer sleep function. For some reason, the dongle would keep the computer from staying in the sleep mode. Without the dongle, it works fine. There is a discussion somewhere either on this forum or another about this. I gave up on that and switched to bluetooth which worked fine for a while. Now it is having this issue. As I said, it is a minor annoyance that I can live with, but if there is a solution, I would like to find it. I am guessing that it started having problems after one of the updates. Just an guess. As you said, it is probably unlikely that there is something wrong with the mouse.

 

[APTI]

If I read that correctly (been know to be wrong), you are using a regular bluetooth adapter that did not come with the mouse. That requires pairing it. It also means it will not work until the OS is fully loaded. What you will need to do is set the mouse as a trusted blue tooth device. You can do that from the terminal....

bluetoothctl paired-devices .... this should list devices for you giving the info you need next
bluetoothctl trust {mac addr of the mouse}

once trusted it should connect on its own and hopefully solve the issue.
you can also get the mac for the mouse from the graphical interface where you paired the mouse.

 

[willyum]

If I read that correctly (been know to be wrong), you are using a regular bluetooth adapter that did not come with the mouse. That requires pairing it. It also means it will not work until the OS is fully loaded. What you will need to do is set the mouse as a trusted blue tooth device. You can do that from the terminal....

bluetoothctl paired-devices .... this should list devices for you giving the info you need next
bluetoothctl trust {mac addr of the mouse}

once trusted it should connect on its own and hopefully solve the issue.
you can also get the mac for the mouse from the graphical interface where you paired the mouse.

Sorry. I think you have misread my issues. Please tell me what is unclear and I'm happy to clarify.

 

[APTI]

Sorry. I think you have misread my issues. Please tell me what is unclear and I'm happy to clarify.

I am unclear if you are using the dongle that came with the mouse or a built in bluetooth.

 

[willyum]

I am unclear if you are using the dongle that came with the mouse or a built in bluetooth.

I'm using the internal bluetooth adapter. Paring occurred without issue when I first got the mouse. The issue now is that sometimes the adapter doesn't wake up after starting the computer from sleep mode. However, once the adapter wakes and the mouse reconnects (instantly), it will lose its connection about 30 seconds later. Turning the mouse off and on (with the bottom switch) reconnects it and it is fine after that.

 

[dobeshow]

As a previous poster mentioned, bt and hid doesn't really work that well. I had several encounters (i spare you the rant) with keyboards and bt, and they all ended in giving the stuff away to people i don't like. You're better off using the dongle that came with the mouse and working around the problem it creates.
You can exclude devices from messing with sleep mode for example. Which also has the advantage of not waking up the pc when you slightly move the mouse...

 

[wendy-lebaron]

It works with Windows but remember that Linux could be downloaded for free, and the consequence of it is that it has to rely on the "big interests" to obtain proprietary drivers for things like Wifi and Bluetooth. This seems to be an area where Linux is still trying to catch up to an operating system which has to be activated.

There are other Linux OS where people are very accustomed to getting a different behavior after waking up a computer from sleep or hibernation. At least once there was a security hole related to it which forced a new release of the kernel. It's frustrating, but it's because there is more work that needs to be done to deal with the proprietary drivers if the ones copyrighting them won't show the source code.

This quitting after 30 seconds means an adjustment to one of the Linux kernel modules might have to be made, and/or a "systemd" service might have to have its orders changed.

 

[dobeshow]

If you really don't want to switch to that dongle, you can set up the bt in a way that it's started at boot time. That might solve your issue.
The Arch wiki (https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Bluetooth#Configuration) shows how to achieve that.
edit: with "started" i mean the bt service is started incl. the connection to devices.

 

[willyum]

I appreciate all of the comments. It appears that programmers still have some work to do.
The dongle is not really an option for me as long as it continues to interfere with sleep mode. It causes the computer to awake from sleep a short time after closing the lid. Then, I return with the battery depleted. I don't really like having the dongle hanging out of the side either (me being fussy).

BTW, I forgot to mention that I also have some BT headphones that work perfectly; no issues.

Also, automatic connection does occurr at start up. Even then, the on/off reset using the mouse switch has to be done after about 30 seconds. Makes me wonder it that problem is in the mouse.

 

[wendy-lebaron]

Also, automatic connection does occurr at start up. Even then, the on/off reset using the mouse switch has to be done after about 30 seconds. Makes me wonder it that problem is in the mouse.

If the problem were with the mouse or Bluetooth, you'd have problems using it on Windows. But you said it works as you expect on Windows.

As I say again, the folks that program for Linux are forever trying to catch up to those for MacOS and Windows while new gear is created, and therefore the related firmware, blobs, copyrights and other messy stuff. Some things aren't known by the folks in charge of the Linux kernel and the various distros, that are known by Microsoft and Apple Corporation.

However, this problem could be resolved with an adjustment to a "systemd" service. It might have to do with a security concern. It might sound silly here but it might be possible to hijack the computer through Bluetooth and otherwise, the undesireable situation you have just stated, that it requires a lot of energy out of the laptop battery.

The headphones work well perhaps because there is no "dongle" related to them. It's the same with the Chinese MP3 playback speakers. Just pair 'em up.

 

[willyum]

OK. I don't have the ability or knowledge to mess with systemd services. So, I'll just live with it. Not a real big deal. Maybe some day, after an update, it will just magically start working without the glitch .
Thanks again for the comments.

 

[APTI]

I'm using the internal bluetooth adapter. Paring occurred without issue when I first got the mouse. The issue now is that sometimes the adapter doesn't wake up after starting the computer from sleep mode. However, once the adapter wakes and the mouse reconnects (instantly), it will lose its connection about 30 seconds later. Turning the mouse off and on (with the bottom switch) reconnects it and it is fine after that.

follow the directions I posted to trust your bluetooth mouse and see if that helps. This is over and above pairing it tells the system this is a device you want to always connect. I use bluetooth stuff and trusting the item makes it connect automatically and should take care of your issue as long as it is not a hardware issue.

use these commands in the terminal


bluetoothctl paired-devices .... this should list devices for you giving the info you need next or look in the gui for the BT

bluetoothctl trust {mac addr of the mouse}

 

[willyum]

This is the way it has always been. The key symbol means it is paired. The check symbol means it is trusted. This was done in the GUI above, not on the CL.
Thanks.

 

[APTI]

View attachment 15901
This is the way it has always been. The key symbol means it is paired. The check symbol means it is trusted. This was done in the GUI above, not on the CL.
Thanks.

well shucks, you just took the wind out of my sails there. May I suggest the easy option? buy a new wireless mouse and use the receiver it comes with. Wireless mice are cheap and not worth aggravation. My shop sells them for $20.

 

[willyum]

As I said above, I started out with one that uses a dongle (RF signal, I think). That dongle messes with computer sleep mode. That is why I went for a BT mouse. The mouse I'm now using can be used either way.