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Bluetooth for Linux Released

Posted by Hemos on from the very-cool-stuff dept.

Bjorn Wesen writes, "A GPL'ed Bluetooth driver for Linux has been released by Axis Communications, supporting the current Bluetooth LAN-profile (PPP over Bluetooth). The download and mailing lists are at their developer site. This will become useful especially for embedded/mobile Linux devices - and to push Linux into the new technology before The Other OS. " Bluetooth has been getting a /huge/ amount of attention from the technical press, as well as the mainstream press. It looks to be one of the most promising standards for short-length wireless communication devices and drivers for Linux is a good thing to get this early in the game.

5 of 100 comments (clear)

  1. I like this by Menthos · · Score: 4
    Really cool to see this from Axis. If you don't know Axis, they make printer servers, CDROM-servers, and now also web cams. Their latest web cams run on their own hardware (the ETRAX100 processor, see their developer page linked above for the specs) and contains a fully integrated web server, and everything is powered by Linux =) (see this page)

    They've released all their patches (it's a custom 2.0.36 kernel, see their developer page) and they're thinking of switching all their devices from a proprietary, custom in-house os, to Linux (well, maybe not the printer servers, because they have to be very cheap and cannot have megs of RAM) but all their other devices. So if you want to support an upstart company using Linux, buy their stuff =)

    They work close together with Ericsson, so I'm not surprised about Axis beeing one of the first with Bluetooth drivers...

    (Note: I'm not affiliated with Axis)

    --

    GNU/Linux. The Freshmaker.

  2. Re:What the heck is a Bluetooth? by kijiki · · Score: 5

    Its a short range 2.4Ghz frequency hopping networking protocol. Applications are pretty much: Everythign irda was supposed to do but sucked at + audio distribution (IE, your cell phone turns into a landline phone when you're near your computer) + tons of neat-o new stuff (your palmpilot can dial a number on your cell phone).

    There is a reasonably good article about it in the latest Dr. Dobbs journal.

  3. Follow links before moderating. by DragonHawk · · Score: 4

    www.bluetooth.org is a better site.

    The above www.bluetooth.org website is a redirector to a commercial company selling Bluetooth hardware to OEMs. I cannot find any information about Bluetooth on it.

    --

    dragonhawk@iname.microsoft.com
    I do not like Microsoft. Remove them from my email address.
  4. What bluetooth is really for by Spyky · · Score: 4

    A lot of the posts here seem to think that bluetooth is for wireless networking. From what I understand thats not entirely the idea. The range is very very short (10m) and thats under good conditions, going through walls is going to cut that range a lot. The idea as I understand it, is too replace a lot of items that currently use infrared (because this doesn't require line of sight, goes a bit farther). That means things like cell phones communicating with PDAs, laptops communicating with printers, maybe someday video game controllers communicating with base units. I can't wait for the day that I can carry my palm in my pocket and have it automatically hotsync with my pc every time I walk close. Thats bluetooth.

    Also the other benfit is that it uses a communication system similar to what cellphones use, ie, no crazy modifications of currently manufactured cell phones to make them "blue tooth" compatible, and be able to sync with your palm or whichever.

    Spyky

  5. Broken encryption? by Djinh · · Score: 4
    While quickly scanning the Bluetooth spec, I see some potential problems:

    • The designers of the cryptosystem seem to think that 64 bits is enough for general use. This does not bode well.
    • The spec does not mandate a known-good random number generator. It has been shown in the past that designing one is a very difficult task that few people do right the first time. This opens the way for lame randomnumber generators in devices.
    • I have not been able to find any good references to the crypto algoriythm used. This, again, is not a good sign. Remember GSM anyone?
    • The spec claims Bluetooth uses a modified SAFER for authentication. Bruce Schneier has this to say about SAFER: SAFER was designed for Cylink, and Cylink is tainted by the NSA. I recommend years of intense cryptoanalysis before using SAFER in any form.

    These things do not fill me with confidence.

    Disclaimer: I am not a cryptographer. Someone with more clue than me is more than welcome to show me the errors of my ways