You need Python 3.8 or above. Python >= 3.9 is recommended, but 3.8 should be sufficient if necessary (there may be some optional functionality that will not work on some platforms with python 3.8). Visit the Python site for instructions on how to install Python for your platform. Throughout the documentation, when shell commands are shown, it is assumed that you can invoke Python as
$ python
If invoking python is different on your platform (it may be python3
for example, or just py
or py.exe
),
adjust accordingly.
You may be simply using Bumble as a module for your own application or as a dependency to your own module, or you may be working on modifying or contributing to the Bumble module or example code itself.
You may choose to install the Bumble module from an online package repository, with a package manager, or from source.
!!! tip "Python Virtual Environments"
When you install Bumble, you have the option to install it as part of your default
python environment, or in a virtual environment, such as a venv
, pyenv
or conda
environment.
See the Python Environments page page for details.
Install with pip
. Run in a command shell in the directory where you downloaded the source
distribution
$ python -m pip install -e .
You can install directly from GitHub without first downloading the repo.
Install the latest commit from the main branch with pip
:
$ python -m pip install git+https://github.com/google/bumble.git
You can specify a specific tag.
Install tag v0.0.1
with pip
:
$ python -m pip install git+https://github.com/google/[email protected]
You can also specify a specific commit.
Install commit 27c0551
with pip
:
$ python -m pip install git+https://github.com/google/bumble.git@27c0551
When you work on the Bumble code itself, and run some of the tests or example apps, or import the module in your own code, you typically either install the package from source in "development mode" as described above, or you may choose to skip the install phase.
If you plan on contributing to the project, please read the contributing section.
If you prefer not to install the package (even in development mode), you can load the module directly from its location in the project.
A simple way to do that is to set your PYTHONPATH
to
point to the root project directory, where the bumble
subdirectory is located. You may set
PYTHONPATH
globally, or locally with each command line execution (on Unix-like systems).
Example with a global PYTHONPATH
, from a unix shell, when the working directory is the root
directory of the project.
$ export PYTHONPATH=.
$ python apps/console.py serial:/dev/tty.usbmodem0006839912171
or running an example, with the working directory set to the examples
subdirectory
$ cd examples
$ export PYTHONPATH=..
$ python run_scanner.py usb:0
Or course, export PYTHONPATH
only needs to be invoked once, not before each app/script execution.
Setting PYTHONPATH
locally with each command would look something like:
$ PYTHONPATH=. python examples/run_advertiser.py examples/device1.json serial:/dev/tty.usbmodem0006839912171
Once you've installed or downloaded Bumble, you can either start using some of the Bundled apps and tools, or look at the examples to get a feel for how to use the APIs, and start writing your own applications.
Depending on the use case you're interested in exploring, you may need to use a physical Bluetooth controller, like a USB dongle or a board with a Bluetooth radio. Visit the Hardware page for more information on using a physical radio, and/or the Transports page for more details on interfacing with either hardware modules or virtual controllers over various transports.