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BLE Clients

netprovd is a GATT peripheral and remains Linux-only. The CLI and desktop app are GATT centrals: the SDK uses BlueZ through bluer on Linux and btleplug on macOS and Windows.

Finding a peer

macOS does not expose peer MAC addresses. CoreBluetooth returns an opaque UUID that is stable for that Mac but meaningless on other hosts. Discover it with the scan command, which needs neither a PSK nor a connection:

cargo run -p netprov-client --features ble --bin netprov -- ble-scan
# 6E4A1B0C-9E3F-4A21-B0D4-7C2F1A8E55D9   netprovd-a1b2   -57 dBm

cargo run -p netprov-client --features ble --bin netprov -- \
  --key-path ./netprov-key.bin \
  --ble-peer 6E4A1B0C-9E3F-4A21-B0D4-7C2F1A8E55D9 list

The advertised device name also works as --ble-peer. Prefer the identifier printed by ble-scan: CoreBluetooth may replace its cached advertised name with the peer’s GATT device name after the first connection. On Linux and Windows, a Bluetooth device address still works.

macOS notes

  • The first connection raises a system pairing prompt. Accept it; a headless peripheral uses Just Works and has no passkey to compare.
  • A terminal-launched CLI needs Bluetooth permission for the terminal app in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Bluetooth.
  • CoreBluetooth does not expose the negotiated ATT MTU, so requests fragment at the mandatory 20-byte floor. Set NETPROV_BLE_MAX_FRAGMENT to a larger value when the peer is known to negotiate it.