Script for enabling the fingerprint reader with BioAPI
Using the integrated fingerprint reader under Linux is currently a fairly complicated process. The following script automates the installation of the fingerprint software, for some Linux distributions. It covers most components (bioapi framework, driver, pam_bioapi, PAM setup, USB device permissions pamtester and enrolling), and handles all the downloading, patching and installation.
Usage: just copy into a file and run as root.
After installation, all PAM-enabled system functions will use the fingerprint reader (and if it fails, default to the usual password entry). This includes:
- KDE's KDM login (enter an empty password, then swipe finger)
- KDE's screensaver (enter an empty password, then swipe finger)
- Gnome's GDM login
- su
- sudo
Everything is intalled into /opt/bioapi, so it doesn't pollute your filesystem. The only effects outside /opt/bioapi are one-line changes to the ldconfig configuration, PAM configuration and /etc/rc.local, and a few symlinks in /lib/security.
For details, manual installation and hints for other distributions, see How to enable the fingerprint reader.
Distributions supported by this script
If you add support for additional distributions, please update this script (using conditionals where necessary) instead of branching it.
The script
enable-fingerprint-reader (download)
Ideas for improvement
- Support more distributions
- Minimize changes to /etc/pam.d/system-auth by creating a separate file (e.g., /etc/pam.d/bioapi-auth) and @include-ing it.
- Do something about /etc/pam.d/sshd - it invokes /etc/pam.d/system-auth by stacking, so remote SSH logins now invoke the fingerprint reader... See related discussion in How_to_enable_the_fingerprint_reader.
- Install and configure a patched xscreensaver (as explained in How_to_enable_the_fingerprint_reader).
- Add "OnResume 10 /opt/bioapi/bin/set_fingerprint_perms" to suspend2's /etc/hibernate/hibernate.conf?
