All other bluetooth audio devices work except Nothing ear(1) tws on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS

I am able to connect my TWS(Nothing ear 1) to Ubuntu but they are not detected as audio devices. It works fine for all other speakers and bluetooth headphones. What might be the issue?


EDIT:

If you mean to increase your chances of solving the problem:

  1. Consider using these suggestions as a guide, nos as a step-by-step instructions manual.
  2. Take your time to read linked posts, tinker a bit, and post what you get.
  3. Try reading the output messages and interpret what they tell you. Even web-search a bit. Especially with warnings and errors, e.g. Oct 07 22:19:28 ank-pc bluetoothd[535134]: 67:1D:94:89:D7:C4: error updating services: Host is down (112) after systemctl status bluetooth, or Failed to pair: org.bluez.Error.ConnectionAttemptFailed.

I trust the time it takes will be far more economic than relying on out-of-the-box solutions.

Please reboot, connect the device again, try these commands and post output

$ pactl list | grep -nH -A 5 -B 5 blue
$ pactl list modules short
$ dpkg -l | grep pulseaudio-module

followed by solution 2 below.

Note that the solutions suggested probably require rebooting and connecting the device again, prior to trying them out, so you have your system in a "fresh" state.

Possibly related:

  1. PulseAudio can not load bluetooth module
  2. https://tutorials.technology/tutorials/How-to-fix-bluetooth-speakers-on-ubuntu.html
  3. https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/595864/cannot-pair-connect-to-my-headphones-failure-module-initialization-failed
  4. https://forums.debian.net//viewtopic.php?f=7&t=124230

You could try a few solutions (you may need to install a package if you don't have the required program):

  1. (a) Unpair the device, (b) run in a terminal: $ sudo pkill pulseaudio, (c) pair again the earphone (credit; see other answers there!).
  2. (a) pactl unload-module module-bluetooth-discover, (b) pactl load-module module-bluetooth-discover.
  3. (a) sudo rmmod btusb, (b) sudo modprobe btusb.
  4. (a) bluetoothctl, (b) scan on, (c) pair <address>, (d) connect <address>, (e) trust <address>.
  5. Use pavucontrol. Since it is a GUI, you should tinker a bit with its options. In particular, Output Devices and Configuration.
  6. a2db.py. Install with curl "https://gist.githubusercontent.com/pylover/d68be364adac5f946887b85e6ed6e7ae/raw/install.sh" | sh.
  7. pulseaudio -k.
  8. sudo systemctl restart bluetooth.
  9. More radical: replace pulseaudio with pipewire, see this and this.

If none of this helps, a diagnosis is needed. Please post the output of a few commands, with the earphones connected.

$ uname -a
$ apt list --installed bluetooth* blueman* bluez*
$ lspci -nnk | grep -n -A 4 -i 'Net'
$ lspci -nnk | grep -n -A 4 -i 'Audio'
$ lsusb
$ rfkill list
$ bluetoothctl list
$ bluetoothctl show
$ bluetoothctl devices
$ bluetoothctl info <address>
$ hciconfig -a
$ zgrep -i blue /var/log/dmesg.*
$ zgrep -i blue /var/log/syslog.*
$ systemctl status bluetooth
$ inxi -F
$ aplay -l
$ sudo lshw -C multimedia
$ dpkg -l | grep alsa
$ cat /etc/pulse/default.pa
$ lsmod | grep bt
$ journalctl --no-pager | grep -i -n blue | head -4000
$ systemctl | grep -i blue
$ pacmd list-cards

Also, what options you get in Settings -> Sound -> Output -> Output Device.

Notes:

  1. You may have to install inxi.

  2. <address> is something like XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX, obtained for the earphones from bluetoothctl devices.

  3. Avoid "narrating" what you obtained; copy+paste the output.

  4. Include from copy+paste also the exact command you entered.

  5. If the output of one specific command is very long to post, use pastebin. Please do not use pastebin to dump everything together, make for an easier reading of those who try to help.