SparkFun Forums

[arouse]

Hi,

Could a Bluetooth-based serial line be doable? A serial line to connect two machines (or several) running linux or some unix-like OS without wires or network.

[daemondust]

There are several ways to go about this, and without more information I can't really make any suggestions. What are your requirements?

Linux has a well-developed bluetooth stack (bluez) so you could get two (or more) USB bluetooth dongles and either create a network (pan) or use ppp over serial connections to link multiple linux computers.

If you don't want more of a hardware solution you can get a few of http://www.sparkfun.com/commerce/produc ... cts_id=642 and have those connect to each other. You can run ppp over these, or create your own protocol.

[NateW]

Yes.

Bluetooth has a serial port profile which basically gives you RS-232 over bluetooth. It takes a little extra work to set up (pairing and all that) but other than that behaves a lot like a serial cable.

If you're connecting unix boxes, then you might be better off using PAN as daemondust said. Think of it as ethernet over bluetooth.

I've had good luck with both approaches, and there are other bluetooth profiles as well, tailored to more specific tasks (moving files, sending sound, etc).