Using the Fingerprint Reader

Contents

27.1. Supported Applications and Actions
27.2. Managing Fingerprints with YaST
27.3. Managing Fingerprints with tf-tool
27.4. For More Information

With the ThinkFinger driver, openSUSEŽ supports the fingerprint reader by UPEK/SGS Thomson Microelectronics included with some IBM and Lenovo ThinkPads. The same fingerprint reader can also be found in other laptops and either as a stand-alone device or built into some USB keyboards. For more details, refer to http://thinkfinger.svn.sourceforge.net/viewvc/*checkout*/thinkfinger/README.in. If your system includes the fingerprint reader, you can use biometric authentication in addition to standard authentication via login and password. After registering their fingerprint, users can log in to the system either by swiping a finger on the fingerprint reader or by typing in a password.

If the hardware check detects the fingerprint reader integrated with your laptop (or connected to your system), the packages libthinkfinger, pam_thinkfinger, and yast2-fingerprint-reader are automatically installed.

Currently, only one fingerprint per user can be registered. The user's fingerprint data is stored to /etc/pam_thinkfinger/login.bir. To manage fingerprint authentication, either use YaST (see Section 27.2, “Managing Fingerprints with YaST” or the tf-tool command line tool which also offers additional options (see Section 27.3, “Managing Fingerprints with tf-tool.

Supported Applications and Actions

The PAM module pam_thinkfinger supports fingerprint authentication for the following applications and actions (although you may not be prompted to swipe your finger in all cases):

  • Logging in to GDM/KDM or a login shell

  • Unlocking your screen on the GNOME/KDE desktop

  • Starting YaST and the YaST modules

  • Starting an application with root permission: sudo or gnomesu

  • Changing to a different user identity with su or su - username