[HN Gopher] Goodix Fingerprint Drivers for Linux (Or at Least De...
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       Goodix Fingerprint Drivers for Linux (Or at Least Debian)
        
       Author : tcsenpai
       Score  : 66 points
       Date   : 2024-05-25 14:01 UTC (8 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (github.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (github.com)
        
       | Retr0id wrote:
       | I assume these packages/libs have been pulled from a laptop
       | shipped by Dell?
       | 
       | At a superficial glance, it looks like it's based on libfprint,
       | which is LGPL licensed. I wonder if you'd be able to ask Dell for
       | the sources?
       | 
       | https://github.com/tcsenpai/goodix-debian-linux-drivers-fing...
       | 
       | https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/libfprint/libfprint/-/blob/ma...
        
         | quocanh wrote:
         | How does copyleft license work in this case? Aren't they
         | legally required to open-source their sources and publish it
         | publicly or can they hide that behind a request system?
        
           | clcaev wrote:
           | Unlike the full GPL, the LGPL doesn't require _applications_
           | of the library be licensed under the same. It would apply
           | only to improvements to the library itself.
        
             | fweimer wrote:
             | If you ship the library, the requirements for the library
             | itself are very similar to the GPL.
             | 
             | The difference you describe mostly applies to system
             | libraries (those libraries that are not distributed
             | alongside applications).
        
           | oaiey wrote:
           | IMHO a request system is sufficient. Remember GPL comes from
           | a time where Internet was not granted and magazines with
           | floppy disks were a thing.
        
         | oaiey wrote:
         | Goodix fingerprint is used in Framework Laptop. This might come
         | from that corner.
        
           | kelnos wrote:
           | The fingerprint sensors in the Framework laptops already have
           | open source drivers. This is for the sensors used in some
           | older but still recent laptops from other manufacturers. I
           | have a Dell XPS 13 from 2018 with an unsupported Goodix
           | fingerprint sensor; I expect this would work with that.
        
           | tcsenpai wrote:
           | Actually, I have a Lenovo IdeaPad3 Slim and I had no idea of
           | the Framework thing. Might be worth looking deeper for more
           | devices support!
        
         | sp1rit wrote:
         | No, this needs libfprint-tod[0], which is built do dlopen non-
         | free reader libraries from manufacturers.
         | 
         | [0]:https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/3v1n0/libfprint/
        
         | tcsenpai wrote:
         | Some packages were collected from a very painful night of
         | research and gathering, with a good amount of filtering out for
         | bad / incompatible modules.
         | 
         | I don't even remember how I managed to find an obscure reddit
         | post ( I think) with the other ones.
         | 
         | I packaged the .deb manually ( If i recall correctly ) and
         | mashed up a bunch of methods until things finally worked in a
         | stable way.
         | 
         | Unfortunately nobody ever replied me about the sources (no
         | support whatsoever tbh). I own a Lenovo IdeaPad3 Slim which has
         | one of the goodix fingerprint sensors and that's why I began
         | this quest indeed
        
       | wazoox wrote:
       | Ah too bad, mine (27c6:55b4) isn't supported...
        
         | molticrystal wrote:
         | Unless you already did, you could try loading the module
         | manually and see what happens. Then do a pull request to the
         | archive to add your device to the udev rule if it works.
        
         | tcsenpai wrote:
         | I'd suggest trying the modules nevertheless. I couldn't get
         | many devices to test, so I just stated what I am sure is
         | compatible. If by any chance it works, it would be very nice if
         | you could PR the compatibility info :)
         | 
         | ps. the only "working" report here might help you
         | https://linux-hardware.org/?id=usb:27c6-55b4
         | 
         | EDIT: https://gist.github.com/d-k-
         | bo/15e53eab53e2845e97746f5f8661b... might be useful!
        
       | jakjak123 wrote:
       | Hmm, isnt there some upstream support for goodix fingerprint
       | readers in linux?
        
         | kelnos wrote:
         | Not all of them. There are a few Goodix chipsets with no open
         | source drivers.
        
         | tcsenpai wrote:
         | Unfortunately, not for the models I listed (according to
         | https://linux-hardware.org). Would be way better, I agree. This
         | is just sharing a night of painful research :)
        
       | NewJazz wrote:
       | Unfortunately in the US, the police can coerce you into unlocking
       | your electronic devices using biometric authentication methods.
       | So I could care less if there is a fingerprint reader on my
       | laptop.
        
         | gerdesj wrote:
         | Use someone else's finger. Only an amateur uses their own!
        
           | DeathArrow wrote:
           | Where do you keep someone else's finger?
        
             | gerdesj wrote:
             | On their hands. If you need more than ten, just get another
             | person. This scheme scales linearly.
        
         | jjeaff wrote:
         | I have also seen a recent case where they forced someone to
         | give up their password. So I'm not sure you are safe either
         | way.
        
           | UncleEntity wrote:
           | _Riley v. California_ says police need to get a warrant to
           | search a cellphone. The 9th Circuit ruled that forcing a
           | subject to unlock a cellphone using biometrics _authorized
           | under a general search condition of his parole_ wasn 't a 5th
           | Amendment violation.
           | 
           | A police officer on the side of the road can't compel someone
           | to unlock their phone to perform a warrantless search.
        
         | tcsenpai wrote:
         | Well is still way faster than typing a reasonable secure
         | password but I mean, if someone cares these are the drivers lol
        
       | tcsenpai wrote:
       | For reference: https://github.com/aymanbagabas/goodix_fp_dump
       | 
       | This repo contains many useful info and experiments. Usually
       | fiddling around works for goodix devices, but I haven't any other
       | device to test yet.
        
       | thomholwerda wrote:
       | If you're not running Debian/something Debian-based, do you just
       | dump the .so files in the listed directories and hope for the
       | best? Or is there something more you should do to get these to
       | work on, say, Fedora?
       | 
       | The fingerprint reader on my Dell XPS 13 9370 is the only thing
       | Linux never supported because Goodix.
        
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       (page generated 2024-05-25 23:00 UTC)