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Pairing bluetooth devices in dual boot with Linux Ubuntu and Windows 10/11

Pairing Bluetooth Devices in Dual Boot with Linux Ubuntu and Windows 10/11

Introduction

This guide provides updated instructions for pairing Bluetooth devices (such as keyboards or mice) in a dual-boot environment with Linux Ubuntu and Windows 10/11, incorporating community feedback and suggestions.

Instructions

1. Pair in Linux First

  • Pair your Bluetooth device in Linux. This is crucial to ensure the LinkKey remains consistent.
  • Note: Do not re-pair the device in Linux after completing the pairing in Windows.

2. Pair in Windows

  • Pair the Bluetooth device in Windows. Note the MAC address of the device for later steps.

3. Install chntpw in Linux

  • Install the chntpw package to read Windows registry keys:
    sudo apt-get install chntpw

4. Access Windows System Drive in Linux

  • Mount your Windows system drive and navigate to the System32 config folder:
    cd /[MountedDrive]/Windows/System32/config

5. Use chntpw to Access Registry

  • Execute the following command in the config folder:
    chntpw -e SYSTEM

6. Navigate to Bluetooth Registry Keys

  • In the chntpw console, navigate to the Bluetooth registry keys:
    cd \ControlSet001\Services\BTHPORT\Parameters\Keys

7. Find and Copy the Pairing Key

  • Use ls to list unique IDs and find your device's MAC address.
  • Retrieve the pairing key (hex code) associated with your device.

8. Edit Linux Bluetooth File

  • Edit the corresponding file in your Linux drive:
    sudo nano /var/lib/bluetooth/[Unique ID]/[Mac Address]/info
  • Replace the Key value in the [LinkKey] section with the pairing key from Windows.
  • If the [LinkKey] section is missing, add it manually.

9. Restart Bluetooth Service in Linux

  • Save the changes and restart the Bluetooth service:
    sudo service bluetooth restart

Additional Methods and Tips

  • Simplification with reged: Use reged to export Bluetooth pairing keys directly into a file for easier identification and copying.
  • Bluetooth LE Devices: For Bluetooth LE devices, the data storage might differ. Users should research specific steps for these devices.
  • Windows 11 Compatibility: This method is also compatible with Windows 11.
  • Multiple Bluetooth Receivers: If you have multiple Bluetooth receivers, ensure you identify and use the correct pairing key.
  • Changing Bluetooth MAC Address in Linux: If necessary, you can change the Bluetooth MAC address in Linux using the following commands:
    sudo hciconfig hci0 down
    sudo bluemoon -A
    sudo hciconfig hci0 up
    sudo systemctl restart bluetooth.service
  • Adding Missing [LinkKey] Section: If the [LinkKey] section is missing in the info file, you should add it manually.

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to the community members who provided valuable insights and suggestions, including nnnnicholas, kna0085, lguangyu, KeyofBlueS, bjoern-vh, Nielius, IgorRodriguez, princeofguilty, and others.

@barikata1984
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This is just a memo to pair a nice!nano v2 (like the board of Typeractive's Lily 58) on both Win11 and Ubuntu 22.04 simultaneously.

Prerequisites:

  • Follow up to Step 7 above.

8. Edit the Bluetooth file for your device

  • Edit the corresponding file in your Ubuntu:
sudo nano /var/lib/bluetooth/[Unique ID]/[Mac Address]/info
  • Replace the Keys of PeripheralLongTermKey and SlaveLongTermKey with the upper-cased hex value of LTK in the device registry, or appearing in the .reg exported with KeyofBlueS's method.
  • Add [IdentityResolvingKey] and set Key at the upper-cased hex value of CentralIRK in the device registry like:
[IdentityResolvingKey]
Key=YOUR_UPPER_CASED_CENTRAL_IRK

9. Restart Bluetooth service

  • Save the changes and restart the Bluetooth service:
sudo service bluetooth restart

@der-siebte-schatten
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I still have issue with my Microsoft Bluetooth Ergonomic Mouse. This one is really tricky.
Yes it can pair with up to 3 device, but if I pair it on both OS on my dual boot (Windows 11, LMDE 6), the mouse with always delete the older pairing because it's the same MAC address. So everytime I boot the other OS, I have to pair the device again and lose all preferences.

First, it's one of them changing MAC Address between each pairing because why not. That I can manage.
On Linux, I got 3 keys: [LongTermKey], [PeripheralLongTermKey]and [SlavelLongTermKey]. The two last ones are identical but the first one differs.
On Windows, only one key stamped as LTK. I got also ERand and EDiv but no IRK or CRK, even though there is a CEntralIRKStatus with a value of 1.

I never got a working combination. The best issue I got was to remove [LongTermKey] entirely and leave the two last ones with values I copied from Windows. After that, I got a stable connection on Linux (whereas all other tries resulted in connecting/disconnecting because key seemed wrong) but the mouse is blinking saying there is no connection.

Any ideas how to do on this one?

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