PROJECT STATUS #8
Description
Current state
Any development in this repository is permanently halted. The reason being, that libfprint has never been the way to go with this driver, because libfprint's software design is too poor to plug a driver like this into it, and it's just always going to have hiccups. I learned it the hard way when developing this driver, but it was too late to stop it, so I just created this somewhat working version and called it a day.
What's next then?
I will create a small library + utility, which just capture raw images from the binary software and don't need any dependency except for the proprietary binaries. This will re-purpose most of the code from this repository and serve as a basis for other people to develop solutions to their problems. It will also be the point, where I cease my involvement with the software around this hardware.
Tips for my successors
In order to make OS login work like in Microsoft Windows (most common use case), there are two options in my opinion:
-
Create a solid biometrics framework for Linux ala Windows and then plug this driver into it.
This option requires some time and dedication, but can serve for many years to come, replacing or consuminglibfprintas a better alternative. -
Create ad-hoc PAM module just for this driver.
This should not take long to develop, but will die as soon as the current HW dies, which is fairly soon.
In either case, both libfprint and fprintd are unusable for any development involving a binary driver.
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