AppleScript Bluetooth on/off

I realize you may have found a happy solution at this point, but I was having a similar problem to solve in getting my Target Display Mode to work the I feel that it should. If I plug my Macbook Air into my 27" imac, I want my imac to do two things:

1) Hit Command+F2

2) Release the Bluetooth Keyboard and Mouse/Trackpad so that my macbook can pair them

I came across a github project by a developer named Duane Fields. Being a developer, I think he just coughed and built the solution. 🙂

Anyways, you'd have to download Xcode from the app store (large program, but useful) and the source code from github. If you have never used xcode, this might take a bit longer (as it did for me) to figure out how to install the dependencies correctly. In the end, I think it is worthwhile because the app works pretty well. It isn't perfect, but it solves an annoying problem for me.

https://github.com/duanefields/VirtualKVM

After you compile the VirtualKVM application, you could add it as a startup item (Users & Groups) so you wouldn't have to run it manually.

- Your macbook is running. (No app required here)

- Your 27" iMac is running, and so is VirtualKVM.

- You connect your MB to your iMac via the Thunderbolt cable

- VirtualKVM recognizes the Thunderbolt Connection and starts Target Display Mode (Command+F2)

- VirtualKVM disables bluetooth (No option to select specific devices; bummer)

- Your MB, if BT is on and previously paired with the BT Keyboard/Mouse, will pair with the devices (might have to push the power device, maybe)

- You are now in Target Display Mode with your Bluetooth Keyboard/Mouse paired to the Macbook (YaY!)

- Exiting Target Display Mode: (how I do it)

- Disable bluetooth or Disconnect the Keyboard/Mouse from the Macbook (your applescript might be useful here)

- Disconnect the Thunderbolt cable from one of the machines, or both if you want to.

- VirtualKVM (on the iMac) will end the Target Display Mode and turn bluetooth back on.

- After a second or two, your iMac and Macbook displays will return to their primary roles.

- A few seconds later (10-20 maybe?) your iMac should recognize the now free bluetooth keyboard/mouse and pair with them (might have to press the power button on your mouse/trackpad)

- Both systems should now be operating independently; can do it again just for giggles if you'd like.

As I said, it's not perfect but it does take some of the frustration out of the problem. If someone were to ask, he might even take the app a few steps further and include a feature to poll the Bluetooth Devices and disconnect specific items. That would be pretty cool.

Well, I hope that helped someone but I think it's a much cleaner solution than my Automator/Applescript fix I was trying to do when I came across this forum post.

Aloha!

Jeremy

tell application "System Preferences"
set the current pane to pane id "com.apple.preferences.Bluetooth"
tell application "System Events"
tell process "System Preferences"
tell window "Bluetooth"
tell button 6
if name is "Turn Bluetooth Off" then click
end tell
end tell
end tell
end tell
quit
end tell

Hi, Pierre,

In my case, this Script doesn't work with Yosemite OS X 10.10. If it is common issue on Yosemite, have you a solution?

Unfortunately, I haven't installed OS X Yosemite yet.

Try just replacing “button 6” with “button 3”.

Merci, Pierre!

It's works now! 🙂

Hello Pierre,

I am on 10.10.2 and somehow, having a 'quit' in the script makes it fail for me.

I lose BT connection, but BT does not turn off. I can still reconnect.

Without the 'quit' things work as expected, but this leaves the System Preferences window open.

Any ideas?

The following should do the trick:

tell application "System Preferences"

-- activate

set the current pane to paneid "com.apple.preferences.Bluetooth"

tell application "System Events"

tell process "System Preferences"

tell window "Bluetooth"

tell button 3

if name is "Turn Bluetooth Off" then

click

repeat until name is "Turn Bluetooth On"

end repeat

end if

end tell

end tell

end tell

end tell

quit

end tell

The second line of code has been commented out in order to keep the Bluetooth window invisible.

Pierre,

FIrst of all, thank you. Your solution suggests that SysPref is quitting before BT has been effectively toggled.

Second, how did you identify the id number for the button?

Siam.Y wrote:

Pierre,

FIrst of all, thank you. Your solution suggests that SysPref is quitting before BT has been effectively toggled.

Second, how did you identify the id number for the button?

You can proceed as follows:

tell application "System Preferences"

activate

set the current pane to paneid "com.apple.preferences.Bluetooth"

end tell

tell application "System Events"

tell process "System Preferences"

name of buttons of window "Bluetooth"

end tell

end tell

--> {missing value, "Advanced…", "Turn Bluetooth On", missing value, missing value, missing value}

Here is another approach if you have enabled the bluetooth icon in your menu bar. The following code will toggle bluetooth on/off each time it is run. It is accompanied by a notification panel telling you of the change in bluetooth power state. Do not run this if you do not have a wired counterpart to your bluetooth keyboard, or mouse connected. Pierre's code gets the job done too.

-- Source: MacScripter: http://macscripter.net/viewtopic.php?id=22219

-- The following code is a modification to the original Source

tell application "System Events" to tell the front menu bar of process "SystemUIServer"

set menu_extras to value of attribute "AXDescription" of menu bar items

-- log menu_extras

repeat with x from 1 to the length of menu_extras

if item x of menu_extras contains "bluetooth" then exit repeat

end repeat

tell menu bar itemx

click

tell 2nd menu item of front menu

-- log name

if name ends with "Off" then

set btStatus to "OFF"

else

set btStatus to "On"

end if

click

end tell

end tell

tell application "Finder"

display notificationwith title"Bluetooth Power Status" subtitle "Status: " & btStatussound name "pop.aiff"

end tell

end tell

I'd like to clarify a point here.

Although the OP (BioRich) was actually “just looking for a way to toggle Bluetooth on and off using a single AppleScript”, it seems that optimusic and Siam.Y were rather looking for a script similar to the one asked for by willthefirst:

willthefirst wrote:

Thanks, that almost works. The only problem is that it will turn bluetooth back on if it is disabled. How would you insert a 'check' that says: 'if it's on, turn it off, but if it's off, leave it off'?

Of course, my last version of such a script can easily be modified in order to just toggle Bluetooth on and off:

tell application "System Preferences"

-- activate

set the current pane to paneid "com.apple.preferences.Bluetooth"

tell application "System Events"

tell process "System Preferences"

tell window "Bluetooth"

tell button 3

click

if name is "Turn Bluetooth Off" then

repeat until name is "Turn Bluetooth On"

end repeat

else

repeat until name is "Turn Bluetooth Off"

end repeat

end if

end tell

end tell

end tell

end tell

quit

end tell

Wasn't competing Pierre. We are showing alternatives. Don't due much GUI scripting anymore, as Apple has this bad habit of changing application design layout. Bookmarked this post as reference to your code.

Hello

Here's yet another approach using rubycocoa, which is invoking the same private functions of IOBluetooth.framework as blueutil [1].

The following AppleScript script is a wrapper of rubycocoa script. Tested under OS X 10.6.8. I'd think it should work under OS X 10.5 through 10.9 as well, but not sure.

Under OS X 10.10+, you'd need to manually install RubyCocoa 1.2.0 [2] which supports Ruby 2.0 or later.

[1] http://www.frederikseiffert.de/blueutil/

[2] http://rubycocoa.sourceforge.net/

http://sourceforge.net/projects/rubycocoa/files/RubyCocoa/1.2.0/

All the best,

Hiroto

--APPLESCRIPT --return bluetooth_powerstate(0) -- off --return bluetooth_powerstate(1) -- on return bluetooth_powerstate(-1) -- toggle --return bluetooth_powerstate(9) -- query on bluetooth_powerstate(s) (* integer s : operation mode; 0 = off, 1 = on, -1 = toggle, 9 = query return integer : resulting power state *) considering numeric strings if (system info)'s system version < "10.10" then set ruby to "/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/bin/ruby" else --set ruby to "/usr/bin/ruby" set ruby to "/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/2.0/usr/bin/ruby" (* Under OS X 10.10+, install rubycocoa 1.2.0 or later which supports ruby 2.0 or later. http://rubycocoa.sourceforge.net/ http://sourceforge.net/projects/rubycocoa/files/RubyCocoa/1.2.0/ *) end if end considering if s = 9 then set s to "" do shell script ruby & " -w <<'EOF' - " & s & " # # bluetooth_powerstate.rb # # Usage: # bluetooth_powerstate.rb [mode] # mode: 0 = off, 1 = on, -1 = toggle, (none) = query # # * using IOBluetooth.framework undocumented functions # extern int IOBluetoothPreferenceGetControllerPowerState (void) # extern int IOBluetoothPreferenceSetControllerPowerState (int) # # v0.10 # written by Hiroto, 2015-03 # require 'osx/cocoa' include OSX OSX.require_framework '/System/Library/Frameworks/IOBluetooth.framework' while File.exist?(BSFILE = \"/tmp/IOBluetooth.#{rand(1e10)}.bridgesupport\") do end Signal.trap('EXIT') { File.delete BSFILE if File.exist? BSFILE } File.open(BSFILE, \"w\") { |f| f.print DATA.read } OSX.load_bridge_support_file BSFILE File.delete BSFILE if File.exist? BSFILE def set_ioblpstate(s) # int s : 0 = off, 1 = on IOBluetoothPreferenceSetControllerPowerState(s) sleep 1 unless (s1 = get_ioblpstate()) == s $stderr.puts \"unable to set bluetooth power %s\" % s == 0 ? 'off' : 'on' exit 2 end s1 end def get_ioblpstate() IOBluetoothPreferenceGetControllerPowerState() end def main(argv) # array argv : operation mode; ['0'] = off, ['1'] = on, ['-1'] = toggle, [] = query puts case argv when ['0'] then set_ioblpstate(0) when ['1'] then set_ioblpstate(1) when ['-1'] then set_ioblpstate(get_ioblpstate() == 0 ? 1 : 0) when [] then get_ioblpstate() else $stderr.puts \"Usage: #{File.basename($0)} [mode]\\n\\t%s, %s, %s, %s\\n\" % ['mode: 0 = off', '1 = on', '-1 = toggle', '(none) = query'] exit 1 end end main(ARGV) __END__ <?xml version=\"1.0\" standalone=\"yes\"?> <!DOCTYPE signatures SYSTEM \"file://localhost/System/Library/DTDs/BridgeSupport.dtd\"> <signatures version=\"0.9\"> <function name=\"IOBluetoothPreferenceGetControllerPowerState\"> <retval type=\"i\"></retval> </function> <function name=\"IOBluetoothPreferenceSetControllerPowerState\"> <arg type=\"i\"></arg> <retval type=\"i\"></retval> </function> </signatures> EOF" result as number end bluetooth_powerstate --END OF APPLESCRIPT

OK you can use that code

tell application "System Preferences"

-- activate

set the current pane to pane id "com.apple.preferences.Bluetooth"

tell application "System Events" to tell process "System Preferences"

click button 3 of window "Bluetooth"

end tell

end tell

you need give access to security and privacity, search and check automator access.

h

Thanks, but have a look above at my response to optimusic (Oct 27, 2014 10:51 PM).