From 3d9a6a47b6af722f0e397fec148a44175fb5dec3 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: "F. Duncanh" Date: Wed, 4 Mar 2026 06:58:47 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] README update for the BleuIO version of uxplay-beacon.py --- README.html | 37 +++++++++++++++++++++++-------------- README.md | 24 ++++++++++++++++-------- README.txt | 36 +++++++++++++++++++++++------------- 3 files changed, 62 insertions(+), 35 deletions(-) diff --git a/README.html b/README.html index a8585b1..6607549 100644 --- a/README.html +++ b/README.html @@ -24,14 +24,16 @@ 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 -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.

    1. (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>”.

      2. -

      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):

      +

      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