Connect with a Chestnut eboard on Linux

1. Install Ubuntu/Kubuntu Package Equivalents

Run the following command to install the required development headers and Free Pascal interface libraries:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install libhidapi-dev libdbus-1-dev libqt5pas1 libqt6pas6

If you are on Fedora, install hidapi-devel, dbus-devel, qt5pas and qt6pas [1, 4]

2. Install Graham O'Neill's drivers

When downloading the LinuxUCI.tar.gz archive from Graham O'Neill's Chess Page, ensure you locate the Qt6 specific engine executable inside (usually appended with 6 or specified in the package documentation). Ensure you keep the libqt6pas6 library installed on your Kubuntu system as mapped earlier so the driver can map its graphical controls properly.

3. Grant Bluetooth & Serial Permissions

Unlike Windows, Linux requires your user account to explicitly belong to the system groups handling physical hardware connections. [1]

Add your user account to the necessary hardware access groups:
```
sudo usermod -aG dialout,plugdev,bluetooth $USER
```
Important: Log out of your desktop session completely and log back in (or reboot) for these group permission changes to activate.

4. Initialize Bluetooth Pairing

Turn on your Chessnut eboard.
Tap the power button briefly so that the blue light flashes, indicating it is in Bluetooth LE pairing mode.
Open the System Settings application in Kubuntu and navigate to Bluetooth.
Scan for devices just to make sure your board is visible. Don't pair it using the operating system! (it should be paired by scidCommunity and the O'Neill driver as described below once you select the NUT_eng driver from the list of engines in scidCommunity after you created it in the Tools > Configure Engine menu dialog).

5. Configure scidCommunity

Once the libraries are present and the system recognizes the board via Bluetooth, the driver file (NUT_eng) can be executed by scidCommunity normally: [8]

In scidCommunity, go to Tools > Configure Engines.
Click New, type a name, and change the protocol type to UCI.
Browse to your NUT_eng file in the Command section and save it.
Launch the engine. The Chessnut Control window should pop up over Bluetooth automatically. [9, 10]

[1] [https://goneill.co.nz](https://goneill.co.nz/pdfs/ReadMe (Millennium).pdf?v=250820)

[2] [https://www.chess.com](https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/linux-how-to-pair-lucas-chess-with-chessnut-air)

[3] [https://talkchess.com](https://talkchess.com/viewtopic.php?t=77783)

[4] [https://goneill.co.nz](https://goneill.co.nz/pdfs/ReadMe (DGT).pdf?v=250926)

[5] [https://goneill.co.nz](https://goneill.co.nz/pdfs/ReadMe (Chessnut).pdf?v=250820)

[6] [https://www.reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/Chessnuteboard/comments/1imjk1q/how_to_play_on_pc/)

[7] [https://forums.developer.nvidia.com](https://forums.developer.nvidia.com/t/agx-orin-jetpack-5-1-3-no-bluetooth-found-but-wifi-works-fine/293344)

[8] [https://lichess.org](https://lichess.org/forum/general-chess-discussion/chessnut-pro-and-scidvspc-under-linux)

[9] [https://www.reddit.com](https://www.reddit.com/r/Chessnuteboard/comments/1l7xm0f/chessnut_go_bluetooth_pairing_issues/)

[10] [https://www.chess.com](https://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/scid-vs-pc-eboard-support)