prepare 1.73.4

README.html

@@ -24,12 +24,14 @@ Bonjour/Rendezvous DNS-SD service discovery). <strong>This can be used
 on networks that do not allow the user to run a DNS_SD service.</strong>
 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
-<code>uxplay-beacon.py</code>: three implementations of Bleutooth LE
+<code>uxplay-beacon.py</code>: four implementations of Bleutooth LE
 advertising are available as loadable modules: BlueZ for Linux only,
-winrt for Windows only, and BleuIO for the BlueIO usb-serial dongle
+winrt for Windows only, BleuIO for the BlueIO usb-serial dongle (which
-(which has its own BlueTooth-LE stack, independent of that of the host
+has its own BlueTooth-LE stack, independent of that of the host system)
-system) that runs on all systems including macOS and *BSD). The beacon
+that runs on all systems including macOS and *BSD), and a low-level HCI
-runs independently of UxPlay: while UxPlay is running, it regularly
+module (Linux and BSD only) that access the Host Contoller Interface
+(but users need enhanced privileges to use this). 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
@@ -1545,7 +1547,7 @@ messages, set GST_DEBUG=4; for DEBUG messages, GST_DEBUG=5; increase
 this to see even more of the GStreamer inner workings.</p>
 <h1 id="bluetooth-le-beacon-setup">Bluetooth LE beacon setup</h1>
 <p>The python&gt;=3.6 script for running a Bluetooth LE Service
-Discovery beacon is uxplay-beacon.py. It provides three possible
+Discovery beacon is uxplay-beacon.py. It provides four possible
 Bluetooth LE implementations (loaded as modules): one for Linux systems
 with D-Bus, one for Windows, and one for the <a
 href="https://www.bleuio.com">BleuIO (or BleuIO Pro) USB dongle</a> with
@@ -1557,6 +1559,13 @@ dongle is available, the bleuio version of the python script can be used
 on many operating systems including macOS, Windows and Linux, and
 perhaps *BSD (not tested): it requires python library
 <code>python3-pyserial</code> to be installed.</p>
+<p>A fourth implementation (module HCI) for Linux or FreeBSD (maybe
+other BSD’s too?) requires elevated permissions to access the Host
+Controller Interface. These are granted by adding users to a new group
+“hciusers” that are give permission to call
+“<code>sudo -n hcitool/hciconfig/hccontrol</code>” without entering a
+password: this can be configured by the system admistrator using visudo,
+but has security implications.</p>
 <p>On Linux, Bluetooth support (using the offical Linux Bluetooth stack
 BlueZ) must be installed (on Debian-based systems:
 <code>sudo apt install bluez bluez-tools</code>; recent Ubuntu releases
@@ -1998,6 +2007,9 @@ an AppleTV6,2 with sourceVersion 380.20.1 (an AppleTV 4K 1st gen,
 introduced 2017, running tvOS 12.2.1), so it does not seem to matter
 what version UxPlay claims to be.</p>
 <h1 id="changelog">Changelog</h1>
+<p>1.73.4 2026-03-15 Modularize Bluetooth support for uxplay-beacon. Add
+modules for BLeuIO serial-modem Bluetooth LE device, and HCI access
+(Linux/FreeBSD). Fix broken -vol option.</p>
 <p>1.73 2026-01-25 Render Audio cover-art inside UxPlay with -ca option
 (no file specified). (D-Bus based) option -scrsv <n> to inhibit
 screensaver while UxPlay is running (Linux/*BSD only). Add password

README.md

@@ -13,10 +13,11 @@
 
 -   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`: three implementations of Bleutooth LE advertising are available
+    later "dongle" can be used). The beacon is managed by a Python3 script `uxplay-beacon.py`: four implementations of Bleutooth LE advertising are available
-    as loadable modules: BlueZ for Linux only,  winrt for Windows only, and BleuIO
+    as loadable modules: BlueZ for Linux only,  winrt for Windows only,  BleuIO
     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 and *BSD).   The beacon
+    host system) that runs on all systems including macOS and *BSD), and a low-level HCI module (Linux and BSD only) that
+    access the Host Contoller Interface (but users need enhanced privileges to use this). 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
@@ -1559,9 +1560,8 @@ GStreamer inner workings.
 # Bluetooth LE beacon setup
 
 The python>=3.6 script for running a Bluetooth LE Service Discovery beacon is uxplay-beacon.py.
-It provides three possible Bluetooth LE implementations (loaded as modules):  one for Linux systems with D-Bus,
+It provides four possible Bluetooth LE implementations (loaded as modules):  one for Linux systems with D-Bus,
-one for Windows, and one for 
+one for Windows,  and one for the [BleuIO (or BleuIO Pro) USB
-the [BleuIO (or BleuIO Pro) USB
 dongle](https://www.bleuio.com)  with its own on-board Bluetooth-LE Stack that
 does not use the host operating system Bluetooth (the Host sees the device as a USB serial modem).   This is needed for macOS where the
 operating system does not allow users to send  Bluetooth-LE advertisements of the type we require.  If a BleuIO  dongle is
@@ -1569,6 +1569,11 @@ available, the bleuio version of the python script
 can be used on many operating systems including macOS, Windows and Linux, and perhaps *BSD (not tested):
 it requires python library `python3-pyserial` to be installed.
 
+A fourth implementation (module HCI) for Linux or FreeBSD (maybe other BSD's too?)  requires elevated permissions to access the Host
+Controller  Interface.   These are granted by adding users to a new group "hciusers" that are give permission to
+call "`sudo -n hcitool/hciconfig/hccontrol`" without entering a password:  this can be configured by the system admistrator
+using visudo, but has security implications.
+
 On Linux, Bluetooth support (using the offical Linux Bluetooth stack BlueZ) must be installed (on Debian-based systems: `sudo apt install bluez bluez-tools`;
 recent Ubuntu releases provide bluez as a snap package).
 In addition to standard Python3 libraries, you may need to install the gi, dbus, and psutil Python libraries used by
@@ -2007,6 +2012,10 @@ introduced 2017, running tvOS 12.2.1), so it does not seem to matter
 what version UxPlay claims to be.
 
 # Changelog
+1.73.4 2026-03-15 Modularize Bluetooth support for uxplay-beacon.
+Add modules for BLeuIO serial-modem Bluetooth LE device, and HCI
+access (Linux/FreeBSD).   Fix broken -vol option.
+
 1.73 2026-01-25 Render Audio cover-art inside UxPlay with -ca option (no file
 specified). (D-Bus based) option -scrsv <n> to inhibit screensaver while UxPlay
 is running (Linux/*BSD only). Add password support (-pw)  using a displayed

README.txt

@@ -21,16 +21,18 @@
     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`: three implementations of Bleutooth LE
+    `uxplay-beacon.py`: four implementations of Bleutooth LE advertising
-    advertising are available as loadable modules: BlueZ for Linux only,
+    are available as loadable modules: BlueZ for Linux only, winrt for
-    winrt for Windows only, and BleuIO for the BlueIO usb-serial dongle
+    Windows only, BleuIO for the BlueIO usb-serial dongle (which has its
-    (which has its own BlueTooth-LE stack, independent of that of the
+    own BlueTooth-LE stack, independent of that of the host system) that
-    host system) that runs on all systems including macOS and \*BSD).
+    runs on all systems including macOS and \*BSD), and a low-level HCI
-    The beacon runs independently of UxPlay: while UxPlay is running, it
+    module (Linux and BSD only) that access the Host Contoller Interface
-    regularly broadcasts a Bluetooth LE ("Low Energy") 46 byte
+    (but users need enhanced privileges to use this). The beacon runs
-    legacy-type advertisement informing nearby iOS/macOS devices of the
+    independently of UxPlay: while UxPlay is running, it regularly
-    local IPv4 network address of the UxPlay server, and which TCP port
+    broadcasts a Bluetooth LE ("Low Energy") 46 byte legacy-type
-    to contact UxPlay on. Instructions are [given
+    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 <rest-of-pipeline>` bypasses rendering by UxPlay, and
@@ -1592,7 +1594,7 @@ this to see even more of the GStreamer inner workings.
 # Bluetooth LE beacon setup
 
 The python\>=3.6 script for running a Bluetooth LE Service Discovery
-beacon is uxplay-beacon.py. It provides three possible Bluetooth LE
+beacon is uxplay-beacon.py. It provides four possible Bluetooth LE
 implementations (loaded as modules): one for Linux systems with D-Bus,
 one for Windows, and one for the [BleuIO (or BleuIO Pro) USB
 dongle](https://www.bleuio.com) with its own on-board Bluetooth-LE Stack
@@ -1604,6 +1606,13 @@ the bleuio version of the python script can be used on many operating
 systems including macOS, Windows and Linux, and perhaps \*BSD (not
 tested): it requires python library `python3-pyserial` to be installed.
 
+A fourth implementation (module HCI) for Linux or FreeBSD (maybe other
+BSD's too?) requires elevated permissions to access the Host Controller
+Interface. These are granted by adding users to a new group "hciusers"
+that are give permission to call "`sudo -n hcitool/hciconfig/hccontrol`"
+without entering a password: this can be configured by the system
+admistrator using visudo, but has security implications.
+
 On Linux, Bluetooth support (using the offical Linux Bluetooth stack
 BlueZ) must be installed (on Debian-based systems:
 `sudo apt install bluez bluez-tools`; recent Ubuntu releases provide
@@ -2070,6 +2079,10 @@ what version UxPlay claims to be.
 
 # Changelog
 
+1.73.4 2026-03-15 Modularize Bluetooth support for uxplay-beacon. Add
+modules for BLeuIO serial-modem Bluetooth LE device, and HCI access
+(Linux/FreeBSD). Fix broken -vol option.
+
 1.73 2026-01-25 Render Audio cover-art inside UxPlay with -ca option (no
 file specified). (D-Bus based) option -scrsv `<n>`{=html} to inhibit
 screensaver while UxPlay is running (Linux/\*BSD only). Add password

uxplay.cpp

@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@
 #endif
 
 
-#define VERSION "1.73"
+#define VERSION "1.73.4"
 
 #define SECOND_IN_USECS 1000000
 #define SECOND_IN_NSECS 1000000000UL

uxplay.spec

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 Name:           uxplay
-Version:        1.73.3
+Version:        1.73.4
 Release:        1%{?dist}
 
 %global gittag  v%{version}