Script for enabling the fingerprint reader with BioAPI

2007-07-06T11:09:37Z

Goocio: /* Ideas for improvement */

Using the [[Integrated Fingerprint Reader|integrated fingerprint reader]] under Linux is currently a fairly complicated [[How to enable the fingerprint reader|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
* <tt>su</tt>
* <tt>sudo</tt>

Everything is intalled into {{path|/opt/bioapi}}, so it doesn't pollute your filesystem. The only effects outside {{path|/opt/bioapi}} are one-line changes to the ldconfig configuration, PAM configuration and {{path|/etc/rc.local}}, and a few symlinks in {{path|/lib/security}}.

For details, manual installation and hints for other distributions, see [[How to enable the fingerprint reader]].

===Distributions supported by this script===
* {{Fedora}} 4, 5, 6
* Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4

If you add support for additional distributions, please update this script (using conditionals where necessary) instead of branching it.

==The script==
{{CodeRef|enable-fingerprint-reader}}

==Ideas for improvement==
* Support more distributions
* Minimize changes to {{path|/etc/pam.d/system-auth}} by creating a separate file (e.g., {{path|/etc/pam.d/bioapi-auth}}) and <tt>@include</tt>-ing it.
* Do something about {{path|/etc/pam.d/sshd}} - it invokes {{path|/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 "<tt>OnResume 10 /opt/bioapi/bin/set_fingerprint_perms</tt>" to [[Software Suspend 2|suspend2]]'s {{path|/etc/hibernate/hibernate.conf}}?

* The script ends with:
+ wget -N http://badcode.de/downloads/fingerprint.patch
--13:03:23-- http://badcode.de/downloads/fingerprint.patch
=> `fingerprint.patch'
Connecting to XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX:80... connected.
Proxy request sent, awaiting response... 401 Authorization Required
Authorization failed.

(proxy don't need authorization)
the file is under authorization

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Script for enabling the fingerprint reader with BioAPI