Quick Tip: Install Fingerprint Scanner (FPrint) in Ubuntu 16.04 Linux

For Ubuntu 16.04 LTS or greater, it would be simple as only required two steps to install Fingerprint Scanner. Tested using Lenovo Thinkpad X240

  1. sudo apt install libpam-fprintd
  2. fprintd-enroll

That’s it. You can now login or even use for sudo access using finger print

Alternative: Fingerprint GUI

tux@freelinux:~$ sudo apt install libpam-fprintd
Reading package lists… Done.
Building dependency tree
Reading state information… Done
The following NEW packages will be installed:
libpam-fprintd
0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 282 not upgraded.
Need to get 0 B/9,336 B of archives.
After this operation, 68.6 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Selecting previously unselected package libpam-fprintd:amd64.
(Reading database … 173955 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack …/libpam-fprintd_0.6.0-1_amd64.deb …
Unpacking libpam-fprintd:amd64 (0.6.0-1) …
Setting up libpam-fprintd:amd64 (0.6.0-1) …

tux@freelinux:~$ fprintd-enroll
Using device /net/reactivated/Fprint/Device/0
Enrolling right-index-finger finger.
Enroll result: enroll-stage-passed
Enroll result: enroll-stage-passed
Enroll result: enroll-stage-passed
Enroll result: enroll-stage-passed
Enroll result: enroll-completed

Now can use fingerprint reader to run sudo

tux@freelinux:~$ sudo apt-get update
Swipe your finger across the fingerprint reader
Get:1 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial-security InRelease [102 kB]
Hit:2 http://sg.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu xenial InRelease
Hit:3 http://ppa.launchpad.net/fingerprint/fingerprint-gui/ubuntu xenial InRelease

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