Linux BlueZ 4.101 Allows GATT Connection but does not Expose GATT Services on Ubuntu

Question

My goal is to use BlueZ 4.101 ( not BlueZ 5.X ) to expose a GATT Server through a USB BLE Dongle ( Cambridge Silicon Radio CSR8510 A10 ) on Ubuntu 14.04. BlueZ 4.101 ships with a gatt-example plugin that several people have confirmed works for them. For example, the last answer in the post claims it works: Bluez: advertise service / gatt server example?

Ultimately, I want to implement my own GATT server in BlueZ 4.101 similar to this post: http://gaiger-programming.blogspot.tw/2015/01/bluetooth-low-energy-customizing-gatt.html

I've been able to use my iPhone to see the BLE Advertisements and connect to the BLE server, but I cannot see any characteristics or services for the GATT Server example that comes with BlueZ 4.101. Multiple BLE scanner apps on the phone show the BLE Server advertisements and allow a connection, but they all say this device has no Services.

I've managed to completely remove the package manager's version of BlueZ 4.101 on Ubuntu 14.04 and compile it myself with the following set of instructions:

sudo apt-get remove --purge bluez* -y
sudo apt-get install bison byacc flex -y
wget http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/bluetooth/bluez-4.101.tar.gz
tar xvf bluez-4.101.tar.gz
cd bluez-4.101
sudo service bluetooth stop
sudo make clean
sudo make distclean
sudo ./configure CFLAGS='-Wall -Wextra -O2 -Wno-error' --prefix=/usr --enable-maintainer-mode
sudo make all
sudo make install
sudo vim /etc/bluetooth/main.conf

# Enable the GATT functionality. Default is false
EnableGatt = true

# Enable the GATT Attribute Server. Default is false, because it is only
# useful for testing. Attribute server is not enabled over LE if EnableLE
# is false.
AttributeServer = true

I then launch the GATT Server like this ( as root ):

#!/bin/sh

killall bluetoothd 2>/dev/null
bluez-4.101/tools/hciconfig hci1 down
bluez-4.101/mgmt/btmgmt -i hci1 power off
bluez-4.101/mgmt/btmgmt -i hci1 le on
bluez-4.101/tools/hciconfig hci1 up
bluez-4.101/tools/hciconfig hci1 sspmode 1
bluez-4.101/tools/hcitool -i hci1 cmd 0x08 0x0008 48 45 4c 4c 4f 57 4f 52 4c 44
bluez-4.101/mgmt/btmgmt -i hci1 bondable off
bluez-4.101/mgmt/btmgmt -i hci1 connectable on
bluez-4.101/mgmt/btmgmt -i hci1 bredr off
bluez-4.101/mgmt/btmgmt -i hci1 advertising on
bluez-4.101/mgmt/btmgmt -i hci1 power on
#tools/hcitool -i hci1 cmd 0x08 0x0008 15 02 01 06 11 06 fe f8 46 3e 16 00 0d b5 e2 11 62 75 10 18 98 b6
#src/bluetoothd -d -n --noplugin=time,audio,input,serial,network,alert,proximity,thermometer &
#src/bluetoothd -d -n --plugin=thermometer &
#src/bluetoothd -d -n --plugin=gatt_example &
bluez-4.101/src/bluetoothd -d -n &
sleep 3
bluez-4.101/mgmt/btmgmt -i hci1 name "MyCustomBLETest"
bluez-4.101/tools/hciconfig hci1 leadv

If I try to just enable 1 plugin "time" - I get the following error and the device is not discoverable:

bluetoothd[6373]: Bluetooth daemon 4.101
bluetoothd[6373]: src/main.c:parse_config() parsing main.conf
bluetoothd[6373]: src/main.c:parse_config() discovto=0
bluetoothd[6373]: src/main.c:parse_config() pairto=0
bluetoothd[6373]: src/main.c:parse_config() pageto=8192
bluetoothd[6373]: src/main.c:parse_config() auto_to=60
bluetoothd[6373]: src/main.c:parse_config() name=%h-%d
bluetoothd[6373]: src/main.c:parse_config() class=0x000100
bluetoothd[6373]: src/main.c:parse_config() Key file does not have key 'DeviceID' in group 'General'
bluetoothd[6373]: Starting SDP server
bluetoothd[6373]: src/plugin.c:plugin_init() Loading builtin plugins
bluetoothd[6373]: Ignoring (cli) audio
bluetoothd[6373]: Ignoring (cli) input
bluetoothd[6373]: Ignoring (cli) serial
bluetoothd[6373]: Ignoring (cli) network
bluetoothd[6373]: Ignoring (cli) service
bluetoothd[6373]: Ignoring (cli) thermometer
bluetoothd[6373]: Ignoring (cli) alert
bluetoothd[6373]: src/plugin.c:add_plugin() Loading time plugin
bluetoothd[6373]: Ignoring (cli) gatt_example
bluetoothd[6373]: Ignoring (cli) proximity
bluetoothd[6373]: Ignoring (cli) deviceinfo
bluetoothd[6373]: Ignoring (cli) hciops
bluetoothd[6373]: Ignoring (cli) mgmtops
bluetoothd[6373]: Ignoring (cli) formfactor
bluetoothd[6373]: Ignoring (cli) storage
bluetoothd[6373]: Ignoring (cli) adaptername
bluetoothd[6373]: src/plugin.c:plugin_init() Loading plugins /home/pi/Desktop/bluez-4.101/plugins/.libs
bluetoothd[6373]: Ignoring (cli) external_dummy
bluetoothd[6373]: Not enough free handles to register service
bluetoothd[6373]: adapter_ops_setup failed

Now the Phone can see and connect to the dongle, but cannot ever see any services or read any characteristics:

How do I get the GATT Server to completely work and advertise properly and allow it's services and characteristics to be interacted with?

Answer 1

Apparently this has to do with the radio being used. The CSR BLE Dongle cannot perform as a GATT Server. I did these exact steps on another board with a Texas Instruments WL1271 and it works! The iPhone can see the GATT Service / Characteristics.