How do I use a Microsoft Designer Mouse with Ubuntu 15.10

This mouse is a "low-power bluetooth" device. Supposedly this uses HOGP instead of HID.

I have found responses that say you need bluez 5.x. Well Ubuntu 15.10 has bluez 5.35 but it doesn't work. When you try to make a connection, it identifies the mouse as "any device" and won't connect. I have a Surface Pro3 running either the distributed kernel for Ubuntu 15.10 or a more useful kernel that I have built myself based on a patched linux 4.3--the mouse behavior is the same for either. THe hardware is by Marvell. The mouse works perfectly when used in the Windows 8.1 partition.

Solution 1:

The solution was described here in comment #9: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/bluez/+bug/1510570

In few words:

1. Comment out the only non-commented line in file /lib/udev/rules.d/50-bluetooth-hci-auto-poweron.rules
2. Uncomment lines [Policy] and AutoEnable=true (originaly there is =false, change it) in /etc/bluetooth/main.conf
3. Reboot
4. Search and pair your mouse. If cursor is not moving, try pairing again.

Solution 2:

Just wanted to add to the Andrey's Answer. If you disable the rule, the bluetooth is not active on the login screen. Even though in launchapd they say 5.35 removes the problem, I still experienced it. Anyway if you are like me using BT keyboard to log in, you might want to do as Andrey say and then reboot and remove the comment in the /lib/udev/rules.d/50-bluetooth-hci-auto-poweron.rules then reboot and the mouse is still connected.