uxplay-beacon.py (available in two versions, a BlueZ/DBus
-version for Linux/*BSD, and a winrt version for Windows). The beacon
-runs independently of UxPlay: while UxPlay is running, it regularly
-broadcasts a Bluetooth LE (“Low Energy”) 46 byte legacy-type
-advertisement informing nearby iOS/macOS devices of the local IPv4
-network address of the UxPlay server, and which TCP port to contact
-UxPlay on. Instructions are given
-below.
+uxplay-beacon.py (available in three versions, a BlueZ/DBus
+version for Linux/*BSD, a winrt version for Windows, and a version for
+the BlueIO usb-serial dongle (which has its own BlueTooth-LE stack
+independent of that of the host system) that runs on all systems
+including macOS). The beacon runs independently of UxPlay: while UxPlay
+is running, it regularly broadcasts a Bluetooth LE (“Low Energy”) 46
+byte legacy-type advertisement informing nearby iOS/macOS devices of the
+local IPv4 network address of the UxPlay server, and which TCP port to
+contact UxPlay on. Instructions are given below.
option -vrtp <rest-of-pipeline> bypasses
rendering by UxPlay, and instead transmits rtp packets of decrypted h264
or h265 video to an external renderer (e.g. OBS Studio) at an address
@@ -933,11 +935,12 @@ This should install the Bonjour SDK as
C:\Program Files\Bonjour SDK.
(This is for 64-bit Windows; a build for 32-bit Windows should be
@@ -1584,7 +1587,7 @@ default choice of BLE data file (~/.uxplay.ble) that is
monitored by the beacon script. This also requires that uxplay is run
with option “uxplay -ble <BLE data file>”.
The BlueZ/Dbus version has thee more options not offered by the +
The BlueZ/Dbus version has three more options not offered by the Windows version (the Windows operating system chooses their values):
--AdvMin x, --AdvMax y. These controls
@@ -1604,6 +1607,12 @@ instance of UxPlay must also have its own MAC address and ports).
not been tested, and this option might not be useful or
needed.
NEW While the native macOS BlueTooth-LE does not +allow users to send “manufacturer-specific” advertisements like the +uxplay service discovery announcement, this can be achieved using the +BleuIO dongle, which is a usb-serial device with its own full +BlueTooth-LE implementation (the bleuio version of uxplay-beacon.py is +installed in macOS systems, but works on all operating systems).
If you wish to test Bluetooth LE Service Discovery on Linux/*BSD, you can disable DNS_SD Service discovery by the avahi-daemon with
$ sudo systemctl mask avahi-daemon.socket
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3ad3353..1ff96cc 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -13,8 +13,10 @@
- Support for **service discovery using a Bluetooth LE "beacon"** for both Linux/\*BSD and Windows (as an alternative to Bonjour/Rendezvous DNS-SD
service discovery). **This can be used on networks that do not allow the user to run a DNS_SD service.** The user must run a Bluetooth LE "beacon", (a USB 4.0 or
- later "dongle" can be used). The beacon is managed by a Python3 script `uxplay-beacon.py` (available in two versions, a BlueZ/DBus version
- for Linux/\*BSD, and a winrt version for Windows). The beacon
+ later "dongle" can be used). The beacon is managed by a Python3 script `uxplay-beacon.py` (available in three versions, a BlueZ/DBus version
+ for Linux/\*BSD, a winrt version for Windows, and a version for the BlueIO usb-serial dongle (which has its own BlueTooth-LE stack independent of that of the
+ host system) that runs
+ on all systems including macOS). The beacon
runs independently of UxPlay: while UxPlay is running, it regularly broadcasts a Bluetooth LE ("Low Energy") 46 byte
legacy-type advertisement informing nearby iOS/macOS devices of
the local IPv4 network address of the UxPlay server, and which TCP port to contact UxPlay on. Instructions are [given below](#bluetooth-le-beacon-setup).
@@ -924,8 +926,8 @@ downloads, "UxPlay" for "git clone" downloads) and build/install with
`C:\Program Files\Bonjour SDK`.
* **NEW: while you still need to install the Bonjour SDK to build UxPlay, there is now an alternative method for
- Service Discovery using a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon. A Windows-based python script for running the beacon
- is available for this.** See [instructions below](#bluetooth-le-beacon-setup).
+ Service Discovery using a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon. (Dfferent) Python3 scripts for running the beacon
+ is on Linux/BSD*, Windows and macOS available for this.** See [instructions below](#bluetooth-le-beacon-setup).
2. (This is for 64-bit Windows; a build for 32-bit Windows should be
possible, but is not tested.) The unix-like MSYS2 build environment
@@ -1593,16 +1595,22 @@ it is not given, an address will be obtained automatically (specify the address
* `--path `. This overrides the default choice of BLE data file (``~/.uxplay.ble``) that is monitored by the beacon script. This also requires
that uxplay is run with option "`uxplay -ble `".
-The BlueZ/Dbus version has thee more options not offered by the Windows version (the Windows operating system chooses their values):
+The BlueZ/Dbus version has three more options not offered by the Windows version (the Windows operating system chooses their values):
* `--AdvMin x`, ``--AdvMax y``. These controls the interval between BLE advertisement broadcasts. This interval is in the range
[x, y], given in units of msecs. Allowed ranges are 100 <= x <= y <= 10240. If AdvMin=AdvMax, the interval is fixed: if AdvMin < AdvMax
it is chosen flexibly in this range to avoid interfering with other tasks the Bluetooth device is carrying out. The default values are
AdvMin = AdvMax = 100. The advertisement is broadcast on all three Bluetooth LE advertising channels: 37,38,39.
-* `--index x` (default x = 0, x >= 0). This can be used by the DBus to distinguish between multiple simultaneous instances of uxplay-beacon.py that are running to support multiple
- instances of UxPlay. Each instance must have its own BLE Data file (just as each instance of UxPlay must also have its own MAC address and ports). _Note:
- running multiple beacons simultaneously on the same host has not been tested, and this option might not be useful or needed._
+* `--index x` (default x = 0, x >= 0). This can be used by the DBus to distinguish between multiple simultaneous instances of uxplay-beacon.py that
+are running to support multiple instances of UxPlay. Each instance must have its own BLE Data
+file (just as each instance of UxPlay must also have its own MAC address and ports). _Note: running multiple beacons simultaneously
+on the same host has not been tested, and this option might not be useful or needed._
+
+**NEW** While the native macOS BlueTooth-LE does not allow users to send "manufacturer-specific" advertisements like the uxplay service discovery
+announcement, this can be achieved using the BleuIO dongle, which
+is a usb-serial device with its own full BlueTooth-LE implementation (the bleuio version of uxplay-beacon.py is installed in macOS systems, but
+works on all operating systems).
If you wish to test Bluetooth LE Service Discovery on Linux/*BSD, you can disable DNS_SD Service discovery by the avahi-daemon with
diff --git a/README.txt b/README.txt
index 3bb0222..c36be39 100644
--- a/README.txt
+++ b/README.txt
@@ -21,14 +21,16 @@
networks that do not allow the user to run a DNS_SD service.** The
user must run a Bluetooth LE "beacon", (a USB 4.0 or later "dongle"
can be used). The beacon is managed by a Python3 script
- `uxplay-beacon.py` (available in two versions, a BlueZ/DBus version
- for Linux/\*BSD, and a winrt version for Windows). The beacon runs
- independently of UxPlay: while UxPlay is running, it regularly
- broadcasts a Bluetooth LE ("Low Energy") 46 byte legacy-type
- advertisement informing nearby iOS/macOS devices of the local IPv4
- network address of the UxPlay server, and which TCP port to contact
- UxPlay on. Instructions are [given
- below](#bluetooth-le-beacon-setup).
+ `uxplay-beacon.py` (available in three versions, a BlueZ/DBus
+ version for Linux/\*BSD, a winrt version for Windows, and a version
+ for the BlueIO usb-serial dongle (which has its own BlueTooth-LE
+ stack independent of that of the host system) that runs on all
+ systems including macOS). The beacon runs independently of UxPlay:
+ while UxPlay is running, it regularly broadcasts a Bluetooth LE
+ ("Low Energy") 46 byte legacy-type advertisement informing nearby
+ iOS/macOS devices of the local IPv4 network address of the UxPlay
+ server, and which TCP port to contact UxPlay on. Instructions are
+ [given below](#bluetooth-le-beacon-setup).
- option `-vrtp ` bypasses rendering by UxPlay, and
instead transmits rtp packets of decrypted h264 or h265 video to an
@@ -948,11 +950,12 @@ downloads, "UxPlay" for "git clone" downloads) and build/install with
site). This should install the Bonjour SDK as
`C:\Program Files\Bonjour SDK`.
-- **NEW: while you still need to install the Bonjour SDK to build
+- \*\*NEW: while you still need to install the Bonjour SDK to build
UxPlay, there is now an alternative method for Service Discovery
- using a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon. A Windows-based python
- script for running the beacon is available for this.** See
- [instructions below](#bluetooth-le-beacon-setup).
+ using a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacon. (Dfferent) Python3
+ scripts for running the beacon is on Linux/BSD\*, Windows and macOS
+ available for this.\*\* See [instructions
+ below](#bluetooth-le-beacon-setup).
2. (This is for 64-bit Windows; a build for 32-bit Windows should be
possible, but is not tested.) The unix-like MSYS2 build environment
@@ -1635,7 +1638,7 @@ are
This also requires that uxplay is run with option
"`uxplay -ble `".
-The BlueZ/Dbus version has thee more options not offered by the Windows
+The BlueZ/Dbus version has three more options not offered by the Windows
version (the Windows operating system chooses their values):
- `--AdvMin x`, `--AdvMax y`. These controls the interval between BLE
@@ -1655,6 +1658,13 @@ version (the Windows operating system chooses their values):
*Note: running multiple beacons simultaneously on the same host has
not been tested, and this option might not be useful or needed.*
+**NEW** While the native macOS BlueTooth-LE does not allow users to send
+"manufacturer-specific" advertisements like the uxplay service discovery
+announcement, this can be achieved using the BleuIO dongle, which is a
+usb-serial device with its own full BlueTooth-LE implementation (the
+bleuio version of uxplay-beacon.py is installed in macOS systems, but
+works on all operating systems).
+
If you wish to test Bluetooth LE Service Discovery on Linux/\*BSD, you
can disable DNS_SD Service discovery by the avahi-daemon with