Hello everyone,
If you have a laptop (like a ThinkPad X1 Carbon 4th Gen) with the 138a:0090 fingerprint sensor, you probably noticed it doesn't work out-of-the-box on Zorin OS 16 or 17.
After a lot of trial and error, I found a complete solution that works. This guide uses a driver PPA built for an older version of Ubuntu ("focal" 20.04), but it works perfectly on Zorin ("jammy" 22.04) with a few small tricks.
Here is the full step-by-step guide.
Step 1: Install the Driver and Dependencies
Open a terminal and run these commands one by one.
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Add the Driver PPA:
This PPA contains the specific driver for our sensor.sudo add-apt-repository ppa:3v1n0/libfprint-vfs0090
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<strong>Change PPA Version to "focal":</strong>
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<small>The PPA doesn't have a "jammy" (22.04) version, so we'll tell it to use the "focal" (20.04) version, which is compatible.</small>
<pre><code>sudo sed -i 's/jammy/focal/g' /etc/apt/sources.list.d/3v1n0-ubuntu-libfprint-vfs0090-jammy.list</code></pre>
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<strong>Manually Install <code>libssl1.1</code> Dependency:</strong>
<br>
<small>The "focal" driver needs an old library that Zorin doesn't have. We have to install it manually.</small>
<pre><code>wget http://nz2.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/pool/main/o/openssl/libssl1.1_1.1.1f-1ubuntu2.24_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i libssl1.1_1.1.1f-1ubuntu2.24_amd64.deb
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<strong>Install the Driver and <code>fprintd</code> Service:</strong>
<br>
<small>Now we can update and install everything.</small>
<pre><code>sudo apt update
sudo apt install libfprint-2-tod-vfs0090
sudo apt install fprintd libpam-fprintd
Step 2: Initialize (Pair) the Sensor
The driver is installed, but the sensor must be "paired" with your specific computer.
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Install the Initializer Tool:
sudo snap install validity-sensors-tools
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<strong>Give the Tool Permissions:</strong>
<pre><code>sudo snap connect validity-sensors-tools:raw-usb
sudo snap connect validity-sensors-tools:hardware-observe
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<strong>Run the Initializer (IMPORTANT):</strong>
<br>
<small>You must <code>cd</code> into the <code>/tmp</code> folder first to avoid a permission error.</small>
<pre><code>cd /tmp
sudo validity-sensors-tools.initializer
Note: Press Enter when it asks you to continue. It's normal to see an error like Factory reset failed... Failed: 0404. You can ignore this as long as the script finishes with That's it, pairing... finished.
Step 3: Enable PAM Authentication
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Run the PAM Config Tool:
sudo pam-auth-update -
Enable Fingerprint Auth:
In the terminal window, use the arrow keys to move down to[*] Fingerprint authentication. Press the Spacebar to check the box (it should show an*). PressTabto select<Ok>and then pressEnterto save.
Step 4: Enroll Your Fingerprint
You're all done!
- Go to Settings > Users.
- You will now see the "Fingerprint Login" option is available.
- Click "Enroll New Fingerprint" and follow the graphical instructions.
That's it! Your fingerprint login should now be working for login, unlock, and sudo commands. Hope this helps someone!