Cannot attach bluetooth usb devices to guest OS from OSX host

[Josh]

I am unable to attach a Bluetooth device to a guest OS from my OSX host environment. I am able to attach other USB devices, however when I attempt to attach a Bluetooth device, I get the following error:

USB device 'Apple, Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller' with UUID {906cb966-8615-4b75-9775-47f7d6689c2f} is in use by someone else.

Result Code: NS_ERROR_FAILURE (0x80004005) Component: HostUSBDevice Interface: IHostUSBDevice {173b4b44-d268-4334-a00d-b6521c9a740a} Callee: IConsole {d5a1cbda-f5d7-4824-9afe-d640c94c7dcf}

I get this error when I try to attach to either a Windows or Linux guest OS from an OSX host.

[Calum Benson]

I can confirm the same issue in 2.1.0. Rather annoying, prevents me from using Nokia PC Suite with my phone :/

[rukqoa]

Does that mean that Mac OS X is using the bluetooth? If so, is there a way to..

1. Disable bluetooth at a machine level in mac
2. Find a way so that vbox can "steal" it from mac.

[Calum Benson]

The Bluetooth daemon (/usr/sbin/blued) is running on the host, but no userspace apps are using the Bluetooth connection at the time AFAICT.

[rukqoa]

Try using a USB dongle or try killing the blued process.

[Calum Benson]

The blued process respawns as soon as you kill it, and I don't have a bluetooth dongle-- not much point when I have bluetooth built in :)

[Brian Smith]

Still broken in 2.1.2, I can vouch that this works fine using VMware on Leopard OSX, same macbook. So there's something they do to make it work.

[nicolas]

Replying to bsjeep:

Still broken in 2.1.2, I can vouch that this works fine using VMware on Leopard OSX, same macbook. So there's something they do to make it work.

I have the same issue using VirtualBox 2.1.4 on a TinyXP rev9 VDI.

[László Karacs]

Issue still exists in 2.2.0 on Unibody MacBook.

[Calum Benson]

Still not working in 3.0.8.

[Frank Mehnert]

I fear that it is just not possible to reap the bluetooth device out of the host control.

[Rei]

Any news for release 3.2? I can't manage to access Bluetooth from an XP guest on a MacBook host.

[Rei]

After much searching, compiling and testing, here's a temporary solution. The hereafter post concerns my configuration: Windows XP guest on MacBook host.

As other USB devices, the Bluetooth port can't be used at the same time by the guest and the host. Therefore, main assumption is I don't require Bluetooth on the host. That's easy on a MacBook.

Here's a step-by-step procedure that works fine for me:

1. On MacBook host, desactivate Bluetooth on Apple > Preferences > Bluetooth

2. On MacBook host, launch Terminal from Application > Utilities

When trying to use Bluetooth on the guest, the error message says it is already in use.

3. On Terminal, type

   kextstat | grep -i bluetooth
   

and see the result: most are kernel extensions (kext)

4. To unload them and free the Bluetooth port, on Terminal type first

sudo su

for super-user privileges and them unload the kernel extensions

kextunload -b com.apple.driver.BroadcomUSBBluetoothHCIController
kextunload -b com.apple.driver.AppleUSBBluetoothHCIController

5. Finally, on VirtualBox, select Bluetooth USB and check everything runs fine.

6. There may be other kernel extensions to unload. Test and try till it works.

To load back kernel extensions, perform the reverse operation on Terminal, starting by last one

sudo su

kextload -b com.apple.driver.AppleUSBBluetoothHCIController
kextload -b com.apple.driver.BroadcomUSBBluetoothHCIController

kextstat | grep -i bluetooth

I hope this could help today's users.

Could such procedures be integrated into the next release of VirtualBox?

[EDevil]

I also have this problem. VMWare is able to do this so it is possible...

[Rei]

Hi!

Please find the ​/VirtualBox Bluetooth Step-by-Step Configuration with screen-shots and a new and more elaborate AppleScript-based ​/VirtualBox Bluetooth Automatic Configuration.

I hope both could help you!

[Calum Benson]

Functionality still broken in 4.1.0, but I can confirm the kextload workaround works well for me (also in 4.1.0).

[sorin]

I would be glad to hear that this 3 year old bug is solved directly in virtualbox, the workaround is simply to hard to do.

[Billy]

Hi!

After upgrading to Mountain Lion from Snow Leopard I lost almost a day to found the solution again. So I wrote it here for those who have ML and try to pass their Bluetooth to the guest VM in a Mac Book Pro.

1) Disable Bluetooth in terminal as root

launchctl unload /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.blued.plist

# For Mountain Lion

kextunload -b com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothSerialManager

kextunload -b com.apple.iokit.BroadcomBluetoothHCIControllerUSBTransport

# For Snow Leopard

#kextunload -b com.apple.driver.BroadcomUSBBluetoothHCIController

#kextunload -b com.apple.driver.AppleUSBBluetoothHCIController

2) Start VM

3) Enable Devices/USB Devices/Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller

4) Enjoy!

After closing the VM just do as root in terminal again

launchctl load /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.blued.plist

# For Mountain Lion

kextload -b com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothSerialManager

kextload -b com.apple.iokit.BroadcomBluetoothHCIControllerUSBTransport

# For Snow Leopard

#kextload -b com.apple.driver.BroadcomUSBBluetoothHCIController

#kextload -b com.apple.driver.AppleUSBBluetoothHCIController

[ArthurG]

Replying to lbaeyens: Hi lbaeyens

Looks great. But my host runs Lion, 10.7. It has these kernel extensions installed.

$ kextstat| grep -i bluet
   75    2 0xffffff7f80da1000 0x77000    0x77000    com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothFamily (4.0.8f17) <7 5 4 3 1>
   76    1 0xffffff7f80e38000 0xb000     0xb000     com.apple.driver.AppleUSBBluetoothHCIController (4.0.8f17) <75 30 7 5 4 3>
   77    0 0xffffff7f80e4b000 0xb000     0xb000     com.apple.driver.BroadcomUSBBluetoothHCIController (4.0.8f17) <76 75 30 5 4 3>
  108    0 0xffffff7f80e2a000 0xa000     0xa000     com.apple.iokit.IOBluetoothSerialManager (4.0.8f17) <107 7 5 4 3 1>

Do you know which of your instructions should I follow to pass my bluetooth to a guest VM (WinXP) on my MacBook Pro?

Thanks

[aeichner]

Please reopen if still relevant with a recent VirtualBox release.