# Linux Biometric Support

## locke2053

For $40, I just got this awesome biometric mouse! It is a Fellowes Secure Touch Fingerprint Reader & Optical Mouse. It is a mouse that has a fingerprint reader on the top of it. It works awesome in windows. Every time I am asked to enter a password, I just touch the reader. To the computer, it shows up as a USB hub with one device an optical mouse, and the other device a fingerprint reader. The reader shows as "Bus 001 Device 006: ID 08ff:5700 AuthenTec, Inc." with lsusb. I really want this to work under Linux, but I can't find any references to it online! Does anyone have any advice? Or is biometrics something Linux just doesn't do?

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## lbrtuk

I think the issue here is really that I imagine all of the clever stuff is done in software. The device itself is probably quite dumb, and just lets a piece of supplied windows software do all the comparisons.

The problem is that fingerprint comparison is not at all an easy task and I think the only way you would get this working is if you found an open source fingerprint comparison engine. I'm not sure if one exists.

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## tgnb

http://www.precisebiometrics.com/

This company does the fingerprint matching on the reader/card which is more secure i guess. Still i'd also be interested to know how to implement this on linux.

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## flickerfly

I've just started up a site that is hopefully going to encourage development in this area on Linux: LinuxBiometrics.com. Anyway, I started it up because I have the same device (I suspect) in the form of the APC BIOPOD which isn't a mouse and costs $50, but I got it for free at a conference.

AuthenTec is the developer the these small fingerprint readers and from what I can read, they are pretty ingenious and dependable. Their site speaks of Linux SDKs coming soon and I found a place that claimed an SDK that supported a different AuthenTec product under Linux. Seems like this could really blossom soon. Anyway, come on over, post the ouput of 'lsusb -v -s 001:006' so we can see stacks of info and hope someone starts messing with it. At least you can compare your output to mine in the forums.  :Smile: 

Oh yeah, I don't think that Precise Biometrics can help you get an AuthenTec device running. Precise Biometrics does support BioAPI though, an open API for biometric development.

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## Joseph_sys

There is an interesting biometric package for Linux:

http://biomark.org.ru/en/index.html

It works with FS-80 (about $64.00) Futronic USB FingerPrint Scanner, it is limited as Dmitry stated to this specific model:

"...it is possible to support any biometric scanner under one condition: biometric engine must be adapted to the specific image quality and size (this is a classic problem of a hardware limitations). Most biometric fingerprint scanners have a vendor-specific command set and a hardware interfaces (USB, RS-232C, RS-485, IEEE-1284 and others)"

All the modules listed on his webpage have source code available except one: BFPSDK - Biometric FingerPrint Software Development Kit (it is only listed on his web-page in binary package); so it would be interesting if Futronic's would release the source code:

Andy Yip ayip@futronic.com.hk is the project manager of Futronic in charge and based on his email I received from him I think he would be interested in talking to developers.  

The unit can be purchase directly from Futronic's ship: http://www.ebioshop.com/

I know biometric can be cracked (only locally) but as a remote log-in it would be an extra security.

I would like to implement project like this as a time-card for employee log-in, it adds an extra security, accuracy and prevents from "buddy" punch-in.

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## slopop27

Well this will be one of my first post and i am think i found a project that i am very interested in helping with.  I am not a programmer but i will do what i can.  Here is what i just found and i think we are not the only ones out there who have this idea.  Potentially this has a wide variety of usage, since we all know it is coming let's get something going.  Here here i am in.  :Smile: 

now to the nity gritty.

well i was going to post my lsusb -v but it is fiarly long, i will post it if someone requests that i do.  I do not have it working (biometric) or wheel on the mouse for that matter but i am impressed that it shows up (not only at all but identified).

here is lsusb:

Bus 001 Device 013: ID 062a:0000 Creative Labs

Bus 001 Device 012: ID 08ff:3406 AuthenTec, Inc.

Bus 001 Device 011: ID 058f:9254 Alcor Micro Corp. Hub

Bus 001 Device 001: ID 0000:0000

Notice device 11, 12 and 13.

Here is what i pulled from info center  :Smile: 

Class

255

(Vendor Specific Class)

Subclass

0

Protocol

0

USB Version

1.10

Vendor ID

0x8ff

(AuthenTec, Inc.)

Product ID

0x3406

Revision

5.21

Speed

12 Mbit/s

Channels

0

Max. Packet Size

0

 Anyone want to clue me in on the first guess on where to start?  Maaybe someone is a step ahead of me?

Eman

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## slopop27

Well this will be one of my first post and i am think i found a project that i am very interested in helping with.  I am not a programmer but i will do what i can.  Here is what i just found and i think we are not the only ones out there who have this idea.  Potentially this has a wide variety of usage, since we all know it is coming let's get something going.  Here here i am in.  :Smile: 

now to the nity gritty.

well i was going to post my lsusb -v but it is fiarly long, i will post it if someone requests that i do.  I do not have it working (biometric) or wheel on the mouse for that matter but i am impressed that it shows up (not only at all but identified).

here is lsusb:

Bus 001 Device 013: ID 062a:0000 Creative Labs

Bus 001 Device 012: ID 08ff:3406 AuthenTec, Inc.

Bus 001 Device 011: ID 058f:9254 Alcor Micro Corp. Hub

Bus 001 Device 001: ID 0000:0000

Notice device 11, 12 and 13.

Here is what i pulled from info center  :Smile: 

Class

255

(Vendor Specific Class)

Subclass

0

Protocol

0

USB Version

1.10

Vendor ID

0x8ff

(AuthenTec, Inc.)

Product ID

0x3406

Revision

5.21

Speed

12 Mbit/s

Channels

0

Max. Packet Size

0

 Anyone want to clue me in on the first guess on where to start?  Maaybe someone is a step ahead of me?

Eman

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## slopop27

OOOOPPPSSSS,   what a noob,  after googling the "APC biometric mouse" you can pick any one of the top 5 links and get to a pic of my mouse.  I have not had time to set up the function of the mouse (scroll) etc.  It is a simple 3 button with scroll.  I will give the generic settings a whirl and see where that goes.  I am mainly interested in the biometric aspect.

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## flickerfly

If you drop by LinuxBiometrics.com, you'll see some activity around AuthenTec devices. The company itself has not been very helpful, but there is some software available to get images off the scanner.

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