Ubuntu – Sending pause/resume playing and next/previous track bluetooth commands

I've managed to fix it. Even though I'm not sure if the following steps are in the exactly order to do it, I'm pretty sure it was the combination of them that fixed it. Here they are:

1. I've installed Blueman: sudo apt-get install blueman

2. I've edited the /etc/bluetooth/audio.conf file: sudo -H gedit /etc/bluetooth/audio.conf and add this line in the end of it: Disable=Headset. Users on Ubuntu 17.04 and above may not have audio.conf, but can instead use main.conf.

Note: I've also installed something called "pavucontrol" via terminal with the command sudo apt-get install pavucontrol, but I'm really not sure if it was this or the Blueman that solved it. I suspect it was the Blueman, but if it doesn't help, try the pavucontrol and see if it solves.

Hope this helps!

Sad story,
Seems that your bluetooth card has not a fully compatible driver with bluez or whatever as mine :(.

I solved following this guide and building two stupid scripts

Getting ready

Install ofono

sudo apt install ofono

Config pulseaudio to use ofono:

• Goto /etc/pulse/default.pa find the line load-module module-bluetooth-discover and change it in load-module module-bluetooth-discover headset=ofono.
• Add the user pulse to group bluetooth to grant the permission: sudo usermod -aG bluetooth pulse (probably it's already correct)
• VERY IMPORTANT: To grant the permission, add this to /etc/dbus-1/system.d/ofono.conf (add this before </busconfig>):

  <policy user="pulse">
    <allow send_destination="org.ofono"/>
  </policy>
  

Provide phonesim to ofono.
In order to make ofono work, you have to provide a modem to it! You can install a modem emulator called phonesim (implemented by ofono) to make it work:

• install ofono-phonesim (in some distros it is called phonesim). in Ubuntu 18.04 (for Ubuntu 20.04 follow this link):

 sudo apt install ofono-phonesim

• Configure phonesim by adding the following lines to /etc/ofono/phonesim.conf:

[phonesim]
Driver=phonesim
Address=127.0.0.1
Port=12345

• Restart ofono:

sudo systemctl restart ofono.service

• Clone ofono repository (contains useful scripts)

git clone git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/network/ofono/ofono.git destination/path

Then, every time you want to enable hfp/hsp:

ofono-phonesim -p 12345 /usr/share/phonesim/default.xml &

then use

path/to/cloned/repo/test/enable-modem /phonesim

then restart pulseaudio with

pulseaudio --kill` and `pulseaudio --start

Now you should see a microphone device.

When you want to go back to a2dp:

path/to/cloned/repo/test/disable-modem /phonesim

then restart pulseaudio with

pulseaudio --kill` and `pulseaudio --start

eventually restart pulseeffects with

pulseeffects --quit` and `pulseeffects &

Lately i'm not using this because it's not always working, and so using a jack is faster.

Hope it helps :)

edit: Added getting ready section edit 2: Added git clone step