---
name: "bluetooth-config"
section: "8"
platform: "freebsd"
package: "base"
version: "16.0-CURRENT-20261027-61c70dc16a79"
release: "FreeBSD 16.0-CURRENT (2026-10-27)"
platforms: ["freebsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/bluetooth-config"
---

# bluetooth-config(8)

a script to manage config files for the bluetooth sub system

## NAME

**bluetooth-config** – a script to manage config files for the bluetooth sub system

## SYNOPSIS

**bluetooth-config** *scan* \[**-d** *device*\] \[**-n** *node*\]

## DESCRIPTION

The **bluetooth-config** utility is an interactive script to provide a frontend to the complex bluetooth sub system daemons.

The following options are available:

- **-d**

  Scan for a specific bluetooth device address.

- **-n**

  Limit scan to a specific host controller. Hint: List all netgraph nodes with ‘/usr/sbin/ngctl list’.

**bluetooth-config** will help finding and setting up bluetooth controllers, scan for nearby bluetooth devices in pairing mode, lookup their names, allow mapping to friendly names in */etc/bluetooth/hosts*, ask for the paring PIN, instrument [hcsecd(8)](/hcsecd/8.md) to securely pair with new devices and, if the device offers HID endpoints such as mice or keyboards, configure and restart [bthidd(8)](/bthidd/8.md).

**bluetooth-config** can bring up any interface and daemon necessary for operation and, if a node is provided on command line, will do so automatically for that interface.

## FILES

- */etc/bluetooth/hosts*

  - *sysrc* *-n* *bthidd\_config*

  - *sysrc* *-n* *hcsecd\_config*

  ## EXAMPLES

**bluetooth-config** scan -n ubt0 -a 00:26:bb:7a:58:95

This will scan the bluetooth controller ubt0hci for a bluetooth device with the address 00:26:bb:7a:58:95, set up ubt0 if necessary and enter an interactive dialog to pair the new device. Since in this example a mouse is paired, **bluetooth-config** will interact with [bthidd(8)](/bthidd/8.md), enabling it if necessary and then write an HID descriptor to its config.

**bluetooth-config** scan

This will scan all bluetooth controllers on the systems for bluetooth devices, prompting to bring up controllers or daemons along the way.

## SEE ALSO

[bthost(1)](/bthost/1.md), [bthidcontrol(8)](/bthidcontrol/8.md), [bthidd(8)](/bthidd/8.md), [hccontrol(8)](/hccontrol/8.md), [hcsecd(8)](/hcsecd/8.md), [sdpcontrol(8)](/sdpcontrol/8.md), [sysrc(8)](/sysrc/8.md)

## HISTORY

A **bluetooth-config** utility first appeared in FreeBSD 12.1.

## AUTHORS

Dirk Engling ⟨*erdgeist@erdgeist.org*⟩

## CAVEATS

**bluetooth-config** can not parse entries in [hcsecd(8)](/hcsecd/8.md) config file and thus will ask the user to manually modify existing pairing PIN entries.

## THANKS TO

Lars Engels and Warren Block for suggestions, help, and testing.