# Install bluez with Homebrew, apk, apt, dnf, Nix, pacman, zypper, MacPorts Bluetooth protocol stack for Linux. Version 5.87 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-05. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:bluez ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install bluez ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install bluemoon ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: games/bluemoon/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add bluez ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: bluez from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/main/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install bluetooth ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: bluetooth from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - dnf (92%): ```sh sudo dnf install bluez ``` Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: bluez from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#bluez ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/bl/bluez/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S bluez ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: bluez from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install bluez ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: bluez from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:bluez - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 5.87 - **Source summary:** Bluetooth protocol stack for Linux - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-2.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-07-05T09:17:21Z - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - bluemoon (cli) - bluetoothctl (cli) - btattach (cli) - btmon (cli) - hex2hcd (cli) - isotest (cli) - l2ping (cli) - l2test (cli) - mpris-proxy (cli) - rctest (cli) - bluemoon (alias) - bluetoothctl (alias) - btattach (alias) - btmon (alias) - hex2hcd (alias) - isotest (alias) - l2ping (alias) - l2test (alias) - mpris-proxy (alias) - rctest (alias) ## Dependencies - dbus - glib - libical - readline - systemd ## Build dependencies - pkgconf ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 5.87 - Package-manager updated: 2026-07-05 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://www.bluez.org - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## Project history and usage BlueZ is the standard Linux user-space Bluetooth stack: the daemons, libraries, tools, and D-Bus APIs that make the kernel Bluetooth subsystem usable from distributions and desktop environments. ### Project history The BlueZ project has long been published from the Linux kernel infrastructure, with its canonical source repository hosted under git.kernel.org's bluetooth namespace and identified there as the Bluetooth protocol stack for Linux. BlueZ evolved alongside Linux Bluetooth support: early releases exposed separate tools and profile helpers, while later releases centered the stack on bluetoothd, D-Bus APIs, and kernel/user-space cooperation for controllers, pairing, audio, input, and low-energy devices. The BlueZ 4 series began in August 2008 and BlueZ 5 followed in December 2012, both visible in the official git.kernel.org tag history as major line changes in the Linux Bluetooth user-space stack. ### Adoption history BlueZ became the default Bluetooth stack carried by Linux distributions because it is the upstream implementation for the Linux Bluetooth ecosystem, not just a third-party command-line utility. Its adoption is visible in package managers: the same project is shipped by Homebrew, Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, Alpine, openSUSE, Nix, and MacPorts, often split by distributions into daemons, libraries, tools, and compatibility packages. The project also shaped desktop and embedded Linux Bluetooth usage. GNOME-facing bluez-gnome work tracked the BlueZ 4 D-Bus API transition, while embedded guides commonly build directly from the kernel.org BlueZ tarballs for board bring-up. ### How it is used Package users usually meet BlueZ through bluetoothd, bluetoothctl, btmon, btattach, l2ping, and related diagnostic tools. It is used for pairing devices, attaching HCI controllers, inspecting traffic, testing L2CAP/RFCOMM behavior, and running profile support. On Linux systems, BlueZ is configured through files such as /etc/bluetooth/main.conf and integrated with system services, udev, D-Bus, PulseAudio/PipeWire, NetworkManager, and desktop Bluetooth front ends. ### Why package nerds care BlueZ is package-nerd-important because it sits at the boundary where kernel interfaces, D-Bus APIs, firmware quirks, Bluetooth qualification, desktop UX, audio stacks, and security patches all collide. It is also a classic distro-maintainer package: upstream releases may affect controllers, headphones, keyboards, low-energy devices, mesh tooling, audio profiles, and security posture, so downstreams often carry patches while tracking upstream closely. For Homebrew specifically, bluez is unusual because it brings Linux Bluetooth tooling to a macOS package manager even though the core stack is Linux-native; the formula is most useful for development, diagnostics, and cross-platform tooling rather than replacing Apple's Bluetooth stack. ### Timeline - 2000s: BlueZ becomes the Linux Bluetooth user-space stack hosted in the kernel.org Bluetooth source area. - 2008-08: BlueZ 4.0 is tagged in the official git.kernel.org repository. - 2012-12: BlueZ 5.0 is tagged in the official git.kernel.org repository. - 2010s-2020s: BlueZ remains hosted under git.kernel.org and distributed across mainstream Linux package managers. ### Related projects - Linux kernel Bluetooth subsystem: the in-kernel protocols and HCI drivers BlueZ controls from user space. - bluetoothd and bluetoothctl: the central daemon and interactive control CLI shipped by BlueZ. - btmon and hcidump: packet monitoring and historical diagnostic tooling around Linux Bluetooth. - PulseAudio and PipeWire: Linux audio stacks that depend on BlueZ integration for Bluetooth audio devices. - GNOME Bluetooth and other desktop front ends: user interfaces built on top of BlueZ's D-Bus APIs. ### Sources - - - - source_facts.package-manager ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Configuration and credential file locations These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval. ## Configuration files - Linux: /etc/bluetooth/main.conf ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** bluez - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Requirements:** linux - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - bluetooth - 5.82-1.1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: bluetooth from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Bluetooth support (metapackage) | http://www.bluez.org - Debian apt - bluez - 5.82-1.1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: bluez from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Bluetooth tools and daemons | http://www.bluez.org - Debian apt - bluez-cups - 5.82-1.1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: bluez-cups from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Bluetooth printer driver for CUPS | http://www.bluez.org - Debian apt - bluez-hcidump - 5.82-1.1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: bluez-hcidump from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Analyses Bluetooth HCI packets | http://www.bluez.org - Debian apt - bluez-meshd - 5.82-1.1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: bluez-meshd from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | bluetooth mesh daemon | http://www.bluez.org - Debian apt - bluez-obexd - 5.82-1.1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: bluez-obexd from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | bluez obex daemon | http://www.bluez.org - Debian apt - bluez-source - 5.82-1.1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: bluez-source from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Source code for the BlueZ Linux Bluetooth stack | http://www.bluez.org - Debian apt - bluez-test-scripts - 5.82-1.1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: bluez-test-scripts from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | test scripts of bluez | http://www.bluez.org - Debian apt - bluez-test-tools - 5.82-1.1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: bluez-test-tools from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | test tools of bluez | http://www.bluez.org - Debian apt - libbluetooth-dev - 5.82-1.1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libbluetooth-dev from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Development files for using the BlueZ Linux Bluetooth library | http://www.bluez.org - Debian apt - libbluetooth3 - 5.82-1.1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: libbluetooth3 from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Library to use the BlueZ Linux Bluetooth stack | http://www.bluez.org - Nix - bluez: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/bl/bluez/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - bluetooth - 5.72-0ubuntu5: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: bluetooth from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Bluetooth support (metapackage) | http://www.bluez.org - Ubuntu apt - bluez - 5.72-0ubuntu5: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: bluez from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Bluetooth tools and daemons | http://www.bluez.org - Ubuntu apt - bluez-cups - 5.72-0ubuntu5: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: bluez-cups from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/main/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Bluetooth printer driver for CUPS | http://www.bluez.org - Ubuntu apt - bluez-hcidump - 5.72-0ubuntu5: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: bluez-hcidump from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Analyses Bluetooth HCI packets | http://www.bluez.org ## Related links - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Homebrew utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew-utility-packages/) - Matched Homebrew package provider. - [Secret-risk packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/secret-risk-packages/) - Matched curated package taxonomy and local package facts. - [dbus](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dbus/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [glib](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/glib/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [systemd](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/systemd/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [pkgconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pkgconf/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [b43-fwcutter](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/b43-fwcutter/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, linux, system, wireless. - [bluetoothconnector](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bluetoothconnector/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: bluetooth, cli, system. - [blueutil](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/blueutil/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: bluetooth, cli, system. - [btrfs-progs](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/btrfs-progs/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, linux, system. - [cpulimit](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cpulimit/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, linux, system. - [crun](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/crun/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, linux, system. - [dcled](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/dcled/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, linux, system. - [ddcutil](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/ddcutil/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, linux, system. - [e2fsprogs](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/e2fsprogs/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, linux, system. - [erofs-utils](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/erofs-utils/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, linux, system. - [keyutils](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/keyutils/) - Local package facts share a topical domain. Shared terms: cli, linux, system. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/bluez.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/bluez.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated configuration and credential file locations - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph