bluetooth in docker for windows host

Question

My docker version is:

docker --version

Docker version 20.10.2, build 2291f61

My windows version is:

systeminfo

Nom du système d’exploitation:              Microsoft Windows 10 Professionnel
Version du système:                         10.0.17763 N/A version 17763
Type du système:                            x64-based PC

My Dockerfile is:

FROM ubuntu:21.04
RUN apt update
RUN apt-get install -y bluez bluetooth usbutils

When I run the following command, I start the 'bluetooth_in_docker' container:

docker build -t bluetooth_in_docker . & docker run --privileged --net=host -it bluetooth_in_docker bash

Inside the container when I run the following, I get an error:

hciconfig dev

Can't open HCI socket.: Address family not supported by protocol

Answer 1

I got it working on Windows from inside WSL2, but it takes a lot of steps.

• Follow https://github.com/dorssel/usbipd-win/discussions/310 to get your bluetooth working inside WSL2. Verify that you can scan for bluetooth devices inside your WSL2 distro.

• modify your dockerfile to install bluetooth as you did (bluez and usb-utils might not be needed)

• Now there are 2 options. First option shares bluetooth with container. Second option gives container exclusive control.

  1. Sharing bluetooth between the host and the container is possible by making a volume mount of /var/run/dbus and running it with --privileged :

      docker run -v /var/run/dbus/:/var/run/dbus/:z --privileged {containerImage}

     Make sure that the dbus and bluetooth services are working in your host when running the container this way.

  2. Giving the container exclusive control: in WSL2 (the host), run a docker container according to https://stackoverflow.com/a/64126744/1114918

  • run sudo service bluetooth stop to make your bluetooth not "claimed" by the host (the linked answer uses killall , I think sudo service... stop is cleaner)
  • use a sh script to start dbus and bluetooth inside the container
  • run the container using

    docker run --rm -.net=host --privileged myimage:mytag