I'd probably use my Linux laptop more if I didn't have to type in a 25 character password every damn time. Windows and Mac are eating our LUNCH on biometric or pin unlocks.
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Can confirm my laptop running fedora linux w/ kde plasma uses the fingerprint unlock that is integrated with the power button.
I dont know why that doesn't work with other laptops, so I'm not dismissing your point. I definitely think its a great QoL feature that needs broader support.
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@JessTheUnstill You don't need a password. Linux is secure. /s
My personal ideal would be to make it easy to set a hardware locked passkey + PIN for unlock same as I have on my Windows gaming computer or my Android phone.
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@JessTheUnstill If you have a physical USB or NFC security key with a PIN you can set up pam_u2f to do jut that. Of course that means messing with PAM which I'm sure you'll criticize.
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@ND3JR sigh way to go with the back handed insult. Yes, I could get there with a yubikey and fucking around with pam. But the technical ability to do a thing isn't the same as it just being some option in Gnome or KDE to do the thing with built in hardware. If you can't understand the whole point of my post, then don't fucking holier than thou respond by saying I'm being obstinate.
The way we make Linux more popular is by reducing friction. Sure, Windows and Mac are increasing their enshittification friction, so the delta between Linux's friction and Windows' friction is decreasing, but don't underestimate these small but significant quality of life features.
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@ND3JR And even with a yubikey, fucking with pam can pretty easily brick your authentication without dropping to single user mode and fixing it. It's certainly nothing I'd dare to hand to any but the most advanced users.
@JessTheUnstill FWIW, my ThinkPad's fingerprint reader worked fine under KDE Plasma, and the Framework's functions just as well. I agree there's room for improvement, but the possibility exists without overmuch headache.
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@mttaggart Only if your hardware has a fingerprint reader. Which mine doesn't.
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@JessTheUnstill True enough! I read the OP as an OS limitation because of the Windows mention. Facial recognition also requires specialized cameras which are not so common.
What I'd really love is NFC built into a laptop to support a YubiKey.
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@mttaggart There are some various guides for doing it with yubikey, though I don't know if any do NFC. And I haven't researched as much but I think most of the yubikey unlocks don't test for PIN in addition. So it's just a physical presence check for the key. I could use a nano and just leave it plugged in all the time, but again, I've got a secure enclave. Use that plus a PIN and I'd say that's "good enough" something I have something I know security.
@JessTheUnstill I鈥檝e always used fingerprint authentication on linux on my thinkpads!
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@penny Unfortunately this laptop doesn't have a fingerprint reader.
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1000% agree with Jess. And Penny highlights why my next used Lenovo Legion will come with biometrics Kubuntu can use. Or I鈥檒l switch to whatever ThinkPad passes for a workstation.
Do not waste lifespan bridging gaps in a UX. It鈥檚 waaaaayyyy too valuable for that.
@JessTheUnstill @penny unfortunately my laptop *does* (it's a 14" MacBook Pro) but of course Linux can't touch that. It also never got drivers for the one on my Dell XPS. (I believe newer models are supported though)
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@StrangeNoises @JessTheUnstill ohh yeah I don't think we'll ever be able to get apple's secure enclave to let us use the fingerprint reader without an apple signature
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