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Sunday, May 2, 2010

Ubuntu Logitech diNovo Edge Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard

I use the Logitech diNovo Edge in Ubuntu/Kubuntu and I love it. When I installed Kubuntu 10.04 Lucid, this wireless keyboard failed to work. The bluetooth device manager kept prompting me to connect and pair the device with a PIN but nothing I did ever worked.

UPDATE/EDIT: This problem has been reported in version dating from 10.04 to 11.04. This solution works for those, but there is a slightly different solution for 11.10.

Here is the solution / fix for getting the keyword to work. The source for this information is here.

Edit the file: /lib/udev/rules.d/70-hid2hci.rules

(If you need help editing a file, see bottom section.)

Change this line:

# Logitech devices
KERNEL=="hiddev*", ATTRS{idVendor}=="046d", ATTRS{idProduct}=="c70[345abce]|c71[34bc]", \
RUN+="hid2hci --method=logitech-hid --devpath=%p"

to

KERNEL=="hidraw*", ATTRS{idVendor}=="046d", ATTRS{idProduct}=="c70[345abce]|c71[34bc]", \
RUN+="hid2hci --method=logitech-hid --devpath=%p"

I have made the changed sections BOLD. I also turned bluetooth off from the icon in the system tray.

After making this change, I turned on my wireless keyboard, unplugged it's bluetooth dongle, plugged it back in, paired the keyword with the dongle, and a few seconds later it worked. I did not even have to reboot.

HOW TO EDIT THE FILE (for those who need help with this stage)

New users to Linux may have trouble editing text files at first. I'll try to be simple, and this guide is for people using Gnome or KDE.

The simplest way is using a user friendly program. In Gnome (which is normal Ubuntu), the default text editor is gedit. In KDE (in Kubuntu) it is Kate. Also, this is a protected system file, so you need to use special Administrator privileges before you can edit it. Don't worry. This is simply.

KDE

In KDE, you need to find the "Run Command" option the Application menu. (The App menu is usually in the lower left-hand corner, with a colorful K-button.) In KDE4's new menu style, the "Run Command" is (currently) under the 'Computer' section, near the top of the small list. Find the option and click it.

In the input box that displays, copy/paste the this command into it and press enter:
kdesu kate /lib/udev/rules.d/70-hid2hci.rules

The 'kdesu' program tells the system you want to run the text editor (kate) with Admin access. You will be prompted for your individual user password, which you enter. Then kate should open with a file ready for you. (This is the /lib/udev/rules.d/70-hid2hci.rules file which we told kate to open for us.) If this file does not open, you can open it manually by going to menu File -> Open... and then navigating to the '/' root directory, down to 'lib' and so on until you find the file ' 70-hid2hci.rules'.

Edit the file as directed earlier in this article. Save the file, close the file (menu File -> Close), and then finally exit Kate.

GNOME

In Gnome, first open the Terminal through the Application menu. (The App menu is usually in the upper left-hand corner, labeled as Applications.) On my system, it is under Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal.

In the input command window that displays, copy/paste the this command into it and press enter:
gksu gedit /lib/udev/rules.d/70-hid2hci.rules

The 'gksu' tells the system you want to run the text editor (gedit) with Admin access. You will be prompted for your individual user password, which you enter. Then gedit should open with a file ready for you. (This is the /lib/udev/rules.d/70-hid2hci.rules file which we told gedit to open for us.) If this file does not open, you can open it manually by going to menu File -> Open... and then navigating to the '/' root directory, down to 'lib' and so on until you find the file ' 70-hid2hci.rules'.

Edit the file as directed earlier in this article. Save the file, close the file (menu File -> Close), and then finally exit gedit. You can close the Terminal also.

Hope that helps.

32 comments:

  1. Love it! Thanks for the post. This was the only thing that didn't work perfectly after the installation for me.

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  2. Thanks for this. My unit would constantly lose connection and have to be re-paired after upgrading from 10.04 RC to 10.04 final.

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  3. Thanks for posting. This fixed the only issue I had after upgrading to 10.04.

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  4. Thank you very much... Upgrade was otherwise smooth, but I'm glad you had already solved the problem because there's no way I could have figured that out. Cheers!

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  5. Hi, I am new at this, please tell he how to get to the file to change it?

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  6. Thanks for posting. This was very irritating. For Neil: open terminal and type "sudo nano /lib/udev/rules.d/70-hid2hci.rules"

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  7. I had problems in Lucid using the keyboards USB. When I paired my diNovo like any other bluetooth device (i.e. without the USB) it works like a charm! And I can change some keyboard setting from the Gnome Bluetooth panel. Nice!

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  8. Obrigado pelo post, eu estava com este prioblema a dias sem solução.

    A propósito, caso alguém não esteja entendendo o que eu escrevi, faça como eu, use o google para traduzir.

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  9. To those of you without keyboard access open up gedit through the accessories menu and manually open the file. Then load a terminal and paste this line in
    sudo gedit /lib/udev/rules.d/70-hid2hci.rules

    and make it enter the command by copying an enter from the first file you opened

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  10. YESS! FINALLY my keyboard works properly! I love it! :-)

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  11. Excellent! This is typed with my now again functional diNovo :)

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  12. Thanx mate! I've been struggling with this one!

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  13. this was working for me great until this past week. verified that the line is still showing as "hidraw*", but my dinovo edge isn't working at all.

    any ideas?

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  14. Thanks man, majorly appreciated!

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  15. many thanks...worked a treat for me too :)

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  16. hi, i am new at kubuntu(and linux). it doesnt let my modify the file. is there a way to open it as administrator? pleeaasse help

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  17. bbmsn, I wrote a simple help guy for you. Hopefully that will work.

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  18. Does any one know if this has been resolved in 10.10 beta?

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  19. You are a very kind soul... thank you very much

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  20. Typing from my diNovo Edge right now, thank you! This is my first time with Ubuntu, and the keyboard was the only thing I hadn't got working right. My backup PS2 keyboard can return to the cupboard again.

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  21. Great help, but as a standard one should copy the file from /lib/udev/rules.d/ to /etc/udev/rules.d and then make the changes.

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  22. Hello,

    do all the fuctions of the keyboard work with Ubuntu?

    Scrolling, Touchpad, audio control, the konfigurable buttons etc.?

    Bye
    MPW

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    Replies
    1. I'm repeating this reply in case you didn't get it originally. Yes (nearly) all my keyboard functions work with Ubuntu, right out of the box (meaning with a fresh install). The only features which do not work automatically is the Magnifying Glass for zoom-in/zoom-out. But that can be configured through KDE (and probably Gnome). The "Windows Key" itself works fine as a modifying key, meaning it can be used with key sequences like Win+E or Win+D, but it does not work as a standard alone key. However this is normal for every keyboard I've ever used in Linux.

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  23. So this works not with the standard Logitech USB-dongle but with some other BT receiver?

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  24. MPW: Yes (nearly) all my keyboard functions work with Ubuntu, right out of the box (meaning with a fresh install). The only features which do not work automatically is the Magnifying Glass for zoom-in/zoom-out. But that can be configured through KDE (and probably Gnome). The "Windows Key" itself works fine as a modifying key, meaning it can be used with key sequences like Win+E or Win+D, but it does not work as a standard alone key. However this is normal for every keyboard I've ever used in Linux.

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  25. Thank you, this worked for me with Linux Mint 13 as well.

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