My Bluetooth headset (IFROGZ Toxix Wireless) supports the Headset Head Unit profile (headset_head_unit or HSP/HFP) and the audio playback profile (a2dp_sink). It pairs and connects successfully with my Ubuntu 18.04 laptop. However, when connected, in the Settings > Sound menu, it is only listed under Output and not under Input (i.e. the mic is not recognized).
Therefore, I can only use it for playback, and not as a headset for video meetings, which poses a big problem for me as all my work is done on this computer.
I found that this is a known bug:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/pulseaudio/+bug/1768625
Are there any workarounds / pathces / solutions for this?
(been using Ubunu for years but very much a noob here when it comes to the inner workings)
bluetoothctl output (note it supports Handsfree HFP but not Headset HSP)
Device 61:21:34:24:4F:20 (public)
Name: IFROGZ Toxix Wireless
Alias: IFROGZ Toxix Wireless
Class: 0x00240404
Icon: audio-card
Paired: yes
Trusted: yes
Blocked: no
Connected: yes
LegacyPairing: no
UUID: Audio Sink (0000110b-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)
UUID: A/V Remote Control Target (0000110c-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)
UUID: A/V Remote Control (0000110e-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)
UUID: Handsfree (0000111e-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb)
pacmd list-cards output (note at the end that headset-input has available: no):
$ pacmd list-cards
2 card(s) available.
index: 0
name: <alsa_card.pci-0000_00_1f.3>
driver: <module-alsa-card.c>
owner module: 7
properties:
alsa.card = "0"
alsa.card_name = "HDA Intel PCH"
alsa.long_card_name = "HDA Intel PCH at 0xb1328000 irq 134"
alsa.driver_name = "snd_hda_intel"
device.bus_path = "pci-0000:00:1f.3"
sysfs.path = "/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1f.3/sound/card0"
device.bus = "pci"
device.vendor.id = "8086"
device.vendor.name = "Intel Corporation"
device.product.id = "9d71"
device.product.name = "Sunrise Point-LP HD Audio"
device.form_factor = "internal"
device.string = "0"
device.description = "Built-in Audio"
module-udev-detect.discovered = "1"
device.icon_name = "audio-card-pci"
profiles:
input:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Input (priority 60, available: unknown)
output:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Output (priority 6000, available: unknown)
output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo: Analog Stereo Duplex (priority 6060, available: unknown)
output:hdmi-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI) Output (priority 5400, available: unknown)
output:hdmi-stereo+input:analog-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 5460, available: unknown)
output:hdmi-stereo-extra1: Digital Stereo (HDMI 2) Output (priority 5200, available: no)
output:hdmi-stereo-extra1+input:analog-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI 2) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 5260, available: unknown)
output:hdmi-surround-extra1: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 2) Output (priority 100, available: no)
output:hdmi-surround-extra1+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 2) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 160, available: unknown)
output:hdmi-surround71-extra1: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 2) Output (priority 100, available: no)
output:hdmi-surround71-extra1+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 2) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 160, available: unknown)
output:hdmi-stereo-extra2: Digital Stereo (HDMI 3) Output (priority 5200, available: no)
output:hdmi-stereo-extra2+input:analog-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI 3) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 5260, available: unknown)
output:hdmi-surround-extra2: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 3) Output (priority 100, available: no)
output:hdmi-surround-extra2+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 3) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 160, available: unknown)
output:hdmi-surround71-extra2: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 3) Output (priority 100, available: no)
output:hdmi-surround71-extra2+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 3) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 160, available: unknown)
output:hdmi-stereo-extra3: Digital Stereo (HDMI 4) Output (priority 5200, available: no)
output:hdmi-stereo-extra3+input:analog-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI 4) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 5260, available: unknown)
output:hdmi-surround-extra3: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 4) Output (priority 100, available: no)
output:hdmi-surround-extra3+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 4) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 160, available: unknown)
output:hdmi-surround71-extra3: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 4) Output (priority 100, available: no)
output:hdmi-surround71-extra3+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 4) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 160, available: unknown)
output:hdmi-stereo-extra4: Digital Stereo (HDMI 5) Output (priority 5200, available: no)
output:hdmi-stereo-extra4+input:analog-stereo: Digital Stereo (HDMI 5) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 5260, available: unknown)
output:hdmi-surround-extra4: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 5) Output (priority 100, available: no)
output:hdmi-surround-extra4+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 5.1 (HDMI 5) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 160, available: unknown)
output:hdmi-surround71-extra4: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 5) Output (priority 100, available: no)
output:hdmi-surround71-extra4+input:analog-stereo: Digital Surround 7.1 (HDMI 5) Output + Analog Stereo Input (priority 160, available: unknown)
off: Off (priority 0, available: unknown)
active profile: <output:analog-stereo+input:analog-stereo>
sinks:
alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo/#0: Built-in Audio Analog Stereo
sources:
alsa_output.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo.monitor/#0: Monitor of Built-in Audio Analog Stereo
alsa_input.pci-0000_00_1f.3.analog-stereo/#1: Built-in Audio Analog Stereo
ports:
analog-input-internal-mic: Internal Microphone (priority 8900, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
properties:
device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
analog-input-mic: Microphone (priority 8700, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
properties:
device.icon_name = "audio-input-microphone"
analog-output-speaker: Speakers (priority 10000, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
properties:
device.icon_name = "audio-speakers"
analog-output-headphones: Headphones (priority 9000, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
properties:
device.icon_name = "audio-headphones"
hdmi-output-0: HDMI / DisplayPort (priority 5900, latency offset 0 usec, available: yes)
properties:
device.icon_name = "video-display"
device.product.name = "2429W"
hdmi-output-1: HDMI / DisplayPort 2 (priority 5800, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
properties:
device.icon_name = "video-display"
hdmi-output-2: HDMI / DisplayPort 3 (priority 5700, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
properties:
device.icon_name = "video-display"
hdmi-output-3: HDMI / DisplayPort 4 (priority 5600, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
properties:
device.icon_name = "video-display"
hdmi-output-4: HDMI / DisplayPort 5 (priority 5500, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
properties:
device.icon_name = "video-display"
index: 1
name: <bluez_card.61_21_34_24_4F_20>
driver: <module-bluez5-device.c>
owner module: 24
properties:
device.description = "IFROGZ Toxix Wireless"
device.string = "61:21:34:24:4F:20"
device.api = "bluez"
device.class = "sound"
device.bus = "bluetooth"
device.form_factor = "headset"
bluez.path = "/org/bluez/hci0/dev_61_21_34_24_4F_20"
bluez.class = "0x240404"
bluez.alias = "IFROGZ Toxix Wireless"
device.icon_name = "audio-headset-bluetooth"
device.intended_roles = "phone"
profiles:
a2dp_sink: High Fidelity Playback (A2DP Sink) (priority 40, available: unknown)
headset_head_unit: Headset Head Unit (HSP/HFP) (priority 30, available: no)
off: Off (priority 0, available: yes)
active profile: <a2dp_sink>
sinks:
bluez_sink.61_21_34_24_4F_20.a2dp_sink/#1: IFROGZ Toxix Wireless
sources:
bluez_sink.61_21_34_24_4F_20.a2dp_sink.monitor/#2: Monitor of IFROGZ Toxix Wireless
ports:
headset-output: Headset (priority 0, latency offset 0 usec, available: unknown)
properties:
headset-input: Headset (priority 0, latency offset 0 usec, available: no)
properties:
Best Answer
The problem here is that your IFROGZ Toxix Wireless do not support Headset profile (HSP). They only support Handsfree profile (HFP) as can be seen in your bluetoothctl output. PulseAudio on the other hand does not support HFP out of the box, as is explained here: https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/PulseAudio/Documentation/User/Bluetooth/
So your only options are to install oFono or to patch and compile PulseAudio yourself. Patch is available here: https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/pulseaudio/pulseaudio/-/merge_requests/94