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So I read different takes on this matter (I think I read all the related questions on SO). Can I connect in a PAN - Can I write an app that will connect - my linux machine and my iOS device via bluetooth? Using or not using Bonjour or GameKit.

Few requisites:

  1. iOS devices are not jailbroken.
  2. iOS devices may or may not have the hotspot/tethering feature enabled (which as far as I have gathered is dictated by the Broadband provider -- i.e. if you pay you can tether your connection).
  3. iOS can run a custom made app that uses documented APIs.
  4. Bluetooth can be activated by hand by the iOS device user.

Thank you very much!

JoeSlav
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1 Answers1

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iOS 3.0 provides support for headsets (mono/stereo), networking via the PAN/BNEP protocol and support for "Made for iPhone" devices which require a proprietary Bluetooth protocol. Still, not even basic OBEX support is included (available with any low-price mobile phone), and no API is available to connect to arbitrary Bluetooth devices. It also extents the GameKit API to allow for iOS-to-iOS communication.

iPhone Bluetooth Information

Personally, I would instead use wifi + bonjour. Here's a tutorial about implementing it, some of the code can be pretty gross, but once you get the boilerplate out of the way, it "just works", which is always a feel good moment.

Sneakyness
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    Thanks you Sneakyness, wifi is indeed much simpler to use, I agree, but I need BT. The above quote from the BTSTack says everything/nothing. I still can't get a definitive answer on whether I can just create a PAN between my linux and my iOS and then, in this PAN, I can do what I need via TCP/IP. Do you have any more insights? Thanks. – JoeSlav Sep 09 '11 at 14:39
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    My insight is to stop speculating around on the internet and start programming ;) – Sneakyness Sep 10 '11 at 03:59
  • @JoeSlav, did you get PAN working between iOS and linux? – br3nt May 13 '14 at 10:49
  • No :) Gave up and went for a standard wifi server-client arch – JoeSlav May 13 '14 at 11:41