Moode 6.5.2 - Bluetooth problems

[jorgen_dk]

Hi, thanks for your work on this great project!

I run Moode 6.5.2 on a rpi 3A+ - a device with wifi and BT.

Streaming from a Moto G6 phone, I connect with BT to rpi/moode. Moode is running with BT pairing agent active.

BT connection keep failing every few seconds, then connect again - then fail etc.
Do someone here know of a fix for this problem?

Code:

Jun  6 09:14:00 moode systemd[1]: Started Music Player Daemon.
Jun  6 09:14:00 moode systemd[1]: Started BlueAlsa-Aplay.
Jun  6 09:14:00 moode mpd[12912]: Jun 06 09:14 : exception: Input plugin 'tidal' is unavailable: No T
idal application token configured
Jun  6 09:14:00 moode mpd[12912]: Jun 06 09:14 : exception: Input plugin 'qobuz' is unavailable: No Q
obuz app_id configured
Jun  6 09:14:00 moode systemd-udevd[12910]: Process '/usr/sbin/th-cmd --socket /var/run/thd.socket --
passfd --udev' failed with exit code 1.
Jun  6 09:14:06 moode systemd[1]: Stopping Music Player Daemon...
Jun  6 09:14:06 moode systemd[1]: mpd.service: Succeeded.
Jun  6 09:14:06 moode systemd[1]: Stopped Music Player Daemon.
Jun  6 09:14:06 moode systemd[1]: Started Music Player Daemon.
Jun  6 09:14:06 moode mpd[13076]: Jun 06 09:14 : exception: Input plugin 'tidal' is unavailable: No T
idal application token configured
Jun  6 09:14:06 moode mpd[13076]: Jun 06 09:14 : exception: Input plugin 'qobuz' is unavailable: No Q
obuz app_id configured
Jun  6 09:14:07 moode systemd[1]: Stopping BlueAlsa-Aplay...
Jun  6 09:14:07 moode systemd[1]: bluealsa-aplay@0C:CB:85:ED:DF:FA.service: Succeeded.
Jun  6 09:14:07 moode systemd[1]: Stopped BlueAlsa-Aplay.
Jun  6 09:14:11 moode bluetoothd[1074]: connect error: Connection refused (111)
Jun  6 09:14:11 moode bluetoothd[1074]: Authentication attempt without agent
Jun  6 09:14:11 moode bluetoothd[1074]: Access denied: org.bluez.Error.Rejected
Jun  6 09:14:16 moode bluetoothd[1074]: Authentication attempt without agent
Jun  6 09:14:16 moode bluetoothd[1074]: Access denied: org.bluez.Error.Rejected

I found a description on how to disable 'tidal' and 'qobuz' exceptions and I tried to run the pairing agent in a console, with no improvements:

Code:

$ sudo /var/www/command/bt-agent.py --agent --disable_pair_mode_switch --pair_mode -w
ActivatePairMode called with inf
Agent registered
Agent registered as default agent.
Authorizing service (/org/bluez/hci0/dev_0C_CB_85_ED_DF_FA, 0000110d-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)
Authorizing service (/org/bluez/hci0/dev_0C_CB_85_ED_DF_FA, 0000110e-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)
Authorizing service (/org/bluez/hci0/dev_0C_CB_85_ED_DF_FA, 0000110d-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)

$ tail -f /var/log/daemon.log
Jun  6 09:44:06 moode bluetoothd[21819]: connect error: Connection refused (111)
Jun  6 09:44:06 moode bluetoothd[21819]: Authentication attempt without agent
Jun  6 09:44:06 moode bluetoothd[21819]: Access denied: org.bluez.Error.Rejected
Jun  6 09:44:23 moode bluetoothd[21819]: Authentication attempt without agent
Jun  6 09:44:23 moode bluetoothd[21819]: Access denied: org.bluez.Error.Rejected
Jun  6 09:45:13 moode systemd[1]: Stopping Music Player Daemon...
Jun  6 09:45:13 moode systemd[1]: mpd.service: Succeeded.
Jun  6 09:45:13 moode systemd[1]: Stopped Music Player Daemon.
Jun  6 09:45:13 moode systemd[1]: Started Music Player Daemon.
Jun  6 09:45:13 moode systemd[1]: Started BlueAlsa-Aplay.
Jun  6 09:45:14 moode systemd-udevd[28150]: Process '/usr/sbin/th-cmd --socket /var/run/thd.socket --
passfd --udev' failed with exit code 1.

Jun  6 09:55:38 moode systemd[1]: bluealsa-aplay@0C:CB:85:ED:DF:FA.service: Succeeded.
Jun  6 09:55:38 moode systemd[1]: Stopped BlueAlsa-Aplay.
Jun  6 09:55:41 moode bluetoothd[21819]: connect error: Connection refused (111)
Jun  6 09:57:21 moode systemd[1]: Stopping Music Player Daemon...
Jun  6 09:57:22 moode systemd[1]: mpd.service: Succeeded.
Jun  6 09:57:22 moode systemd[1]: Stopped Music Player Daemon.
Jun  6 09:57:22 moode systemd[1]: Started Music Player Daemon.
Jun  6 09:57:22 moode systemd[1]: Started BlueAlsa-Aplay.
Jun  6 09:57:22 moode systemd-udevd[1607]: Process '/usr/sbin/th-cmd --socket /var/run/thd.socket --passfd --udev' failed with exit code 1.
Jun  6 09:57:27 moode systemd[1]: Stopping BlueAlsa-Aplay...
Jun  6 09:57:27 moode systemd[1]: bluealsa-aplay@0C:CB:85:ED:DF:FA.service: Succeeded.
Jun  6 09:57:27 moode systemd[1]: Stopped BlueAlsa-Aplay.

Br Jorgen

[TheOldPresbyope]

Hi, Jorgen.

I'm not able to reproduce your issue using a Google Pixel3a phone and moOde 6.5.2 on an RPi3B+ (my RP3A+ isn't hooked up at the moment). Bluetooth renderer and pairing agent features both enabled. I'm playing a radio station on the phone and piping output via Bluetooth to my moOde player as I type this.

The error messages you reported concerning plugins are unrelated to Bluetooth connectivity. So, I believe, is the th-cmd error message (this is triggerhappy and I see nothing in its configuration file to suggest a possible interaction).

More to the point, I see them too. OTOH I do not see the bluetoothd error messages you reported.

Not sure what to suggest you do. Maybe try reverting to the manual scanning/pairing/connecting process in the Bluetooth Config screen?

Bluetooth is a messy specification and vendors arrive at their own interpretations of it. My Pixel is "pure" Android so has the Android team's interpretation. I don't know how much spin the Moto team give it.



Regards,
Kent

[jorgen_dk]

I tried connecting with bluetooth from a different phone and it worked without problems.
Also I tried to put the failing phone into "safe mode" and again connect to the Moode player - and now it works.

I'll blame it in the Moto G7. Now I look for a way to let Raspbian handle the faulty phone.

Thanks and brgds
Jorgen

[blueboy]

I am having a very similar problem with a Moto G5 phone and Moodeaudio 6.7.1 on both a Pi4 & Pi3A+.

Streaming Bluetooth from the Moto G5 to a variety of speakers and headphones works 100%. However, the same apps and sources streamed to Moode will consistently glitch and dropout. More so with higher bit rates.

Switching to safe mode does provide a solution. Though not for the audio I wish to stream, which is mostly ripped audiobooks, podcasts and stuff from BBC Sounds.

Is this a problem with one or more of the following?

a) Moto G5's Bluetooth. Perhaps remedied by replacing the stock OS with something like eOS.
b) An app or apps known to cause an issue.
c) The Raspberry Pi's Bluetooth. Could a Bluetooth USB dongle help?
d) Moode. Would altering the BlueZ configuration help? And what should I try first?

Any ideas or suggestions much appreciated.

Thomas

[TheOldPresbyope]

Lacking any other evidence, I vote for the Moto G-series of phones being the root cause of the problems.

After our early teething problems integrating Bluetooth with moOde (many versions ago), it now works reliably with all my Bluetooth devices---Google Nexus and Pixel tablets and phones, Apple iPad, all speakers and headsets. The only device I ever had to give up on was a first-gen Amazon Echo and the problem there was on the Echo end of the connection.

As for remedies, that's a ton of posts (sometimes they're even relevant!) out there on the InterWeb™ concerning Moto phones and BT-connectivity issues, just like there is for many other phones.

Good luck.

Regards,
Kent

[blueboy]

Lacking any other evidence, I vote for the Moto G-series of phones being the root cause of the problems.

After our early teething problems integrating Bluetooth with moOde (many versions ago), it now works reliably with all my Bluetooth devices---Google Nexus and Pixel tablets and phones, Apple iPad, all speakers and headsets. The only device I ever had to give up on was a first-gen Amazon Echo and the problem there was on the Echo end of the connection.

As for remedies, that's a ton of posts (sometimes they're even relevant!) out there on the InterWeb™ concerning Moto phones and BT-connectivity issues, just like there is for many other phones.

Good luck.

Regards,
Kent

I've borrowed a number of phones and tablets to test the connection and it appears your suspicion is correct, it is the stupid Moto phones. Also, I see from other forums that people have had problems using Moto-G with picoreplayer and volumio. The pattern suggests the phone is the root cause.

Still I'm not quite ready to give up on the Moto yet. I'll look for a replacement ROM with a vanilla android / bluetooth stack and hope that'll sort out whatever issues the Motorola developers jammed in to the package. If that doesn't work then I suppose it'll have to be a new device. If it does mean the nuclear option then is there anything I should look for or which I should look to avoid?

[TheOldPresbyope]

@blueboy

You're brave! I remember futzing with CyanogenMod firmware some years ago. It didn't feel any easier when LineageOS came along. Maybe it was just me and my fear of bricking whatever tablet or phone I was working with at the time. In the end it worked so I guess I can't complain.

I'm not in a position to recommend phones. My personal preference is to stay close to "pure" Android as I can, which most recently has meant a Nexus 6P and now a Pixel 3a. Both have worked well with moOde.

As I mentioned my iPad has always worked well and my partner's iPhone does too. The prices of iPhones may yet come back down to levels I can tolerate. (I bought the iPad at a close-out sale after Google got out of the tablet business.)

Regards,
Kent