Enable Fingerprint Reader in Ubuntu Linux Variants

thinkpad_t495_fingerprint_linux.md

Enable T495 Fingerprint Reader in Ubuntu Variants

I'm currently on Mint 21.2 testing on a ThinkPad T495.

This pertains to any laptop with a Synaptics Prometheus MIS Touch Fingerprint Reader.

sudo apt install -y fprintd libpam-fprintd
sudo pam-auth-update

The edit common auth.

sudo vi /etc/pam.d/common-auth

Find this section:

# here are the per-package modules (the "Primary" block)
auth	[success=1 default=ignore]	pam_unix.so nullok

Add in finger print auth, note max-tries, this is how many times it will re-prompt you for password before going to text input.

# here are the per-package modules (the "Primary" block)
auth	[success=2 default=ignore]	pam_fprintd.so max-tries=10 timeout=10
auth	[success=1 default=ignore]	pam_unix.so nullok_secure

Then enroll your fingerprints.

fprintd-enroll $USER

I this enrolls right index finger by default, you can specify with -f.

-f finger
       For fprintd-enroll, the finger to enroll. Possible values are:

       left-thumb, left-index-finger, left-middle-finger, left-ring-finger, left-little-finger, 
       right-thumb, right-index-finger, right-middle-finger, right-ring-finger, right-little-finger.

lsusb Device Info

Bus 004 Device 027: ID 06cb:00bd Synaptics, Inc. Prometheus MIS Touch Fingerprint Reader
Device Descriptor:
  bLength                18
  bDescriptorType         1
  bcdUSB               2.00
  bDeviceClass          255 Vendor Specific Class
  bDeviceSubClass        16 
  bDeviceProtocol       255 
  bMaxPacketSize0         8
  idVendor           0x06cb Synaptics, Inc.
  idProduct          0x00bd Prometheus MIS Touch Fingerprint Reader
  bcdDevice            0.00
  iManufacturer           0 
  iProduct                0 
  iSerial                 1 6952b6e21325
  bNumConfigurations      1
  Configuration Descriptor:
    bLength                 9
    bDescriptorType         2
    wTotalLength       0x0027
    bNumInterfaces          1
    bConfigurationValue     1
    iConfiguration          0 
    bmAttributes         0xa0
      (Bus Powered)
      Remote Wakeup
    MaxPower              100mA
    Interface Descriptor:
      bLength                 9
      bDescriptorType         4
      bInterfaceNumber        0
      bAlternateSetting       0
      bNumEndpoints           3
      bInterfaceClass       255 Vendor Specific Class
      bInterfaceSubClass      0 
      bInterfaceProtocol      0 
      iInterface              0 
      Endpoint Descriptor:
        bLength                 7
        bDescriptorType         5
        bEndpointAddress     0x01  EP 1 OUT
        bmAttributes            2
          Transfer Type            Bulk
          Synch Type               None
          Usage Type               Data
        wMaxPacketSize     0x0040  1x 64 bytes
        bInterval               0
      Endpoint Descriptor:
        bLength                 7
        bDescriptorType         5
        bEndpointAddress     0x81  EP 1 IN
        bmAttributes            2
          Transfer Type            Bulk
          Synch Type               None
          Usage Type               Data
        wMaxPacketSize     0x0040  1x 64 bytes
        bInterval               0
      Endpoint Descriptor:
        bLength                 7
        bDescriptorType         5
        bEndpointAddress     0x83  EP 3 IN
        bmAttributes            3
          Transfer Type            Interrupt
          Synch Type               None
          Usage Type               Data
        wMaxPacketSize     0x0008  1x 8 bytes
        bInterval               4
Device Status:     0x0000
  (Bus Powered)