Norm's Projects

Automated Install of Bluetooth Code on RPi

December 05, 2021

Current Version: 2.0 - May 28, 2004

I continue to make changes often based on early adopters comments and experiences. Check here often to see if I have posted a new version.

To check installed current version date on your Raspberry Pi, check the log file in terminal:

journalctl --unit=btwifiset.service -n 100 --no-pager

And look for the line that starts with: ******* Starting BTwifiSet - version date.

About

Automated install on your Raspberry Pi of a bluetooth BLE Server written in Python . BLE advertises a custom service that communicates with the IOS app to remotely set the wifi on a headless raspberry pi.

Requirements

Python3: version 3.7 or later must be installed on the Raspberry Pi or the install script will exit.

Automated Install - How To:

Notes:

The bash script, which you download below, installs all the necessary dependencies for the bluetooth BLE Python code. The python file (btwifiset.py) is installed in the sub-directory created at: /usr/local/btwifiset. Log entries are written to syslog. It is possible to write log entries to a file that you choose instead. To do so, see the manual instructions. You can run the automatic install first and then you can edit the service file that is created, which is located at: /etc/systemd/system/btwifiset.service. The manual instructions explain the various options switches to add to the command line.

On your Raspberry Pi: Open a terminal window and Run the following commands at the prompt:

  1. Make sure your Raspberry Pi is up to date - type:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get full-upgrade
sudo reboot
  1. Navigate to your home directory - type:
cd ~
  1. Download and run the script - type:
curl  https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nksan/Rpi-SetWiFi-viaBluetooth/main/btwifisetInstall.sh | bash

That’s it.

The code is open source under the standard MIT license.

What the Install script does:

  • Checks the python version and allows for selection if more than one Python3 interpreter is installed .
  • Creates the directory: btwifiset under /usr/local, and downloads the python file btwifiset.py there.
  • Install dbus and GLib (pyCairo) python modules only if they are not already installed.
  • Modifies the existing bluetoothd.service system file to run the bluetooth BLE service created Python.
  • Creates a new systemd service file: btwifiset.service and starts it (+ auto-start on boot).

The script provides written feedback on install progress in the terminal. Upon completion, you are ready to use the ios app BTBerryWifi with the raspberry pi. Enjoy!

Note- the ios app is called BTBerryWifi in the Apple App Store. Best to search for its name exactly, since I messed up the keywords - but a search for “Raspberry pi wifi bluetooth” should work also.