What app works the best for getting Bluetooth to work in Mint 20.1?

[Iacceptthelinuxchallenge]

Hello everyone! I am excited to, in all reality, beginning to actually learning how to troubleshoot issues with my Most favorite operating system.
Been searching for the answer on the internet for getting my Bluetooth to work for over a month and have not been able to find the answer. I have tried multiple "solutions" and now wonder if my attempts are now the reason it doesn't work. I have installed and uninstalled multiple apps (Blueman, Blueberry, Bluez to name a few) through the software manager and (I believe) through the terminal. Not sure about the terminal due to just following multiple suggestions I found in my searches of suggestions by people with similar issues, but none with the exact problems I have been experiencing.
The problems have changed as well. It started with having the Bluetooth icon on my bottom tray being grey and it not paring the PS4 controller. Right now (as far as I know) I have Bluetooth Manager and Bluetooth Adapter installed. I mentioned "as far as I know" because I know just enough to be dangerious. I know there are "backends" possibly still running in the background that I have no idea how to find or purge. I apologize for being so "windy," but am guessing in order to fix this situation one needs to know the situation is not a "blank slate." I have a Bluetooth dongle and have verified it works in Windows (automatically and in like 30 seconds after plugging it in) and the dongle was identified using the "lsusb" (or the correct command, can't remember exactly what it was at the moment) command in terminal.
The current issue is the Bluetooth Manager starts up (in the bottom panel) and then just disappears. I see nothing but a "flash" when I click on Bluetooth Adapters. Any help will be appreciated.

 

[Condobloke]

G'day, and Welcome to Linux.org

I also run LM20.1

In the Software Manager (menu, type in software manager) There is Blueberry....and Blueman

I have both installed

I am fairly sure it is blueberry that worked for me. I dont have a Bluetooth adapter here now so cannot check.

Just install it from the Software Manager...leave the terminal out of it

It would be a good idea to uninstall all the stuff you have installed so far

If you have Timeshift installed and set up (you should) then you can just restore to an earlier time....that will effectively uninstall the stuff already on your pc.

If you dont have Timehsift, then use synaptic package manager to uninstall what you can

Actually, one of the two apps I mentioned(Blueberry) shows in the menu as 'Bluetooth'.....it works.

 

[Brickwizard]

I use the one that automatically loads when you load M20, never been a problem, all you have to do is configure it to your various peripherals [ln mint menu all apps scroll down bluetooth]

 

[Iacceptthelinuxchallenge]

I use the one that automatically loads when you load M20, never been a problem, all you have to do is configure it to your various peripherals [ln mint menu all apps scroll down bluetooth]

Thanks for your response brickwizard! I hope you have a GREAT day!!! And I love your quote about Gaterbait...I mean Gates!!! Its SO spot on!!!

 

[Brickwizard]

Thanks for your response brickwizard!

no problem i happened to be playing with a usb/HD dock so i was around

 

[Iacceptthelinuxchallenge]

G'day, and Welcome to Linux.org

I also run LM20.1

In the Software Manager (menu, type in software manager) There is Blueberry....and Blueman

I have both installed

I am fairly sure it is blueberry that worked for me. I dont have a Bluetooth adapter here now so cannot check.

Just install it from the Software Manager...leave the terminal out of it

It would be a good idea to uninstall all the stuff you have installed so far

If you have Timeshift installed and set up (you should) then you can just restore to an earlier time....that will effectively uninstall the stuff already on your pc.

If you dont have Timehsift, then use synaptic package manager to uninstall what you can

Actually, one of the two apps I mentioned(Blueberry) shows in the menu as 'Bluetooth'.....it works.

I am a bit EXCITED right now and have realized I jumped into this before reading the "Getting Started" tutorial so I am backing off for the moment and am going to read the tutorial before proceeding. I am not going to start over because I don't want to waste anyone's time.

G'day to you as well and thanks for the welcoming and for your response!!! I fully understand how to remove apps using the Software Manager, but am not so clear on using the Synaptic Manager.

I entered several commands to fix my problem through another helpful individual from a youtube video. The first command was 1) sudo apt-get install python-pip
I went to synaptic and started to delete it when a popup came up and said an additional package will need to be removed (python3-pip). I did not install python3-pip and need to know if I should delete that one as well?
PS: I sent the comment about your quote before I realized it was "OK" to do so in the forum...

 

[wizardfromoz]

Hey Brian @Condobloke get your arse over here and give the OP some input

...because I don't want to waste anyone's time.

Don't worry @Iacceptthelinuxchallenge , we're all volunteers here, and we're here because we enjoy helping and learning.

Wizard - out for my evening DownUnder

 

[Brickwizard]

out for my evening DownUnder

lucky you.. still waiting for my local to re-open... looking forward to a few pints of Real English ale

 

[Condobloke]

Hey Brian @Condobloke get your arse over here

Cheeky young bugger he is !!..if he's not careful I'll wash his mouth out with soap!

How is it going, Linuxchallenge?....how far down the track did you get ?....bring me up to date.

 

[Iacceptthelinuxchallenge]

Cheeky young bugger he is !!..if he's not careful I'll wash his mouth out with soap!

How is it going, Linuxchallenge?....how far down the track did you get ?....bring me up to date.

Let me first say I'm am too impressed with the help I've gotten so far!!!
Other challenges (yea, its plural) in my life have taken precedence so I am glad to learn you won't freak out if I don't get right back to you.
Learned something else: So its TRUE...ole wiz IS a whip cracker...

I have done none if it. Will get to it when other things settle down. It feels like things are working out, but who knows. I could reply to this response again to alert you when my part is done and that would let you know?

If not, I know who to sick on ya

 

[Iacceptthelinuxchallenge]

I'm back...so I did some more research and experimenting. I discovered my laptop has bluetooth built in and have verified it is working by switching the card (both have the same card) in a working laptop (wife's computer-WC). The wifi/bluetooth card originally in this laptop (Original Problem Laptop-OPL)is also working in her laptop so I am 100% sure its not the card. I'm not too sure it isn't something else like a wire going to the card or something else?
When I start the bluetooth manager my laptop displays a error message: Connection to Bluez failed.
One other observation, made during my research ,was the OPL (and a desktop I had issues with the BT adapter not being recognized was fixed by reverting to kernel in which the bluetooth was working in the WC and is the reason for screen shot) has a "rc" before Blueberry . The WC has "ii" in fromt of Blueberry as do the rest of the packages. The WC's DPKG --list ...........blue list has an ii infront of blueman as well as all the rest in the list.

SO my question is should I just revert my laptop to the kernel (which is another job since my kernel downloads don't go back that far), timeshift (then do a clean install) or this process we have started?