{"id":45483,"date":"2024-02-06T16:06:28","date_gmt":"2024-02-06T16:06:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ubuntuhandbook.org\/?p=45483"},"modified":"2026-04-05T08:44:35","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T08:44:35","slug":"fingerprint-reader-t480s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ubuntuhandbook.org\/index.php\/2024\/02\/fingerprint-reader-t480s\/","title":{"rendered":"Enable Fingerprint Reader in Ubuntu 26.04, 24.04, 22.04 for ThinkPad T480s"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This is a step by step guide shows how to enable fingerprint reader support for Lenovo ThinkPad T480\/T480s, X1 Carbon 6th gen, X1 Yoga 3rd gen, X280, etc with 06cb:009a<\/code> device in Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 24.04, Ubuntu 25.10, and Ubuntu 26.04.<\/b><\/p>\n

Ubuntu has fingerprint reader support out-of-the-box using libfprint<\/a>, and provides option to enable fingerprint login in Users<\/i> settings page. However, the library has a list of unsupported devices<\/a>, including 06cb:009a<\/code> that’s built-in in my used ThinkPad T480s laptop.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, there’s a free open-source alternative python-validity<\/a> that works in my case. Here’s how to install and set it up in Ubuntu 22.04 and higher, while Ubuntu 20.04 is also supported.<\/p>\n

NOTE: This tutorial may also work in many other fingerprint readers, however, the project so far does NOT provide a page to list all supported devices.<\/i><\/p>\n

Step 1: Tell Which Fingerprint Reader device your laptop have<\/h3>\n

First of all, you may press Ctrl+Alt+T<\/code> on keyboard to open up a terminal window.<\/p>\n

Then run command to find out the device name of your fingerprint reader:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

lsusb<\/pre>\n
In my case, it’s 06cb:009a<\/code>. Not only for this device, the steps below should also work for 138a:0090<\/b>, 138a:0097<\/b>, 138a:009d<\/b>.<\/p>\n
\"\"<\/p>\n
Step 2: Install python3-validity driver<\/h3>\n
1. In a terminal window, first run command to uninstall the pre-installed libfprint driver:<\/p>\n
sudo apt remove fprintd libpam-fprintd<\/pre>\n
\"\"<\/p>\n
2. Then, add the software developer’s PPA<\/a> that contains the new driver packages:<\/p>\n
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:uunicorn\/open-fprintd<\/pre>\n
NOTE: The PPA so far supports Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 22.04, and Ubuntu 24.04.<\/i><\/p>\n
For Ubuntu 24.04, 25.10, and 26.04<\/b>, I’ve built the package into this unofficial PPA<\/a> (works in my case but without well testing), run this command instead to add the PPA:<\/i><\/p>\n
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1\/open-fprintd<\/pre>\n
\"\"<\/p>\n
3. Finally, install the driver packages by running command:<\/p>\n
sudo apt install open-fprintd fprintd-clients python3-validity<\/pre>\n
Linux Mint user needs to run sudo apt update<\/code> first to refresh package cache after adding PPA.<\/i><\/p>\n
\"\"<\/p>\n
Step 3: Enable python3-validity service<\/h3>\n
After installing the driver package, it should automatically start the service.<\/p>\n
To verify, simply run command in terminal:<\/p>\n
systemctl status python3-validity.service<\/pre>\n
\"\"<\/p>\n
If it’s not in active running status, try running commands below to enable & start the service:<\/p>\n
systemctl enable python3-validity.service<\/pre>\n
systemctl start python3-validity.service<\/pre>\n
Step 4: Enroll your fingerprint<\/h3>\n
NOTE: If you have already enrolled your fingerprints from other or old Distributions, for example I added fingerprints on 24.04 then re-installed 26.04, then you may skip this step!<\/b><\/p>\n
For GNOME, open Settings and go to System -> Users -> Fingerprint Login to see if you already have fingerprints enrolled.<\/b><\/p>\n
To enroll your fingerprint, run the command below in terminal:<\/p>\n
fprintd-enroll<\/pre>\n
It outputs “Enrolling right-index-finger finger<\/i>“, and the LED light is turning on.<\/p>\n
Now, touch the fingerprint sensor repeatedly. As you press your finger on the fingerprint sensor and lift it, it outputs a line says either Enroll result: enroll-stage-passed<\/code> or Enroll result: enroll-retry-scan<\/code>. Do it repeatedly, until it outputs “enroll-completed”.<\/p>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n
Tips: Don’t know why, but it outputted ‘result:enroll-failed’ in my case in Ubuntu 24.04 & 25.10! Though, the fingerprint that I successfully enrolled in 22.04 is also working good in 24.04 | 25.10 installed in same laptop. You may factory-reset the fingerprint chip<\/a> to clear your fingerprint if need.<\/b><\/p>\n
UPDATE:<\/b> The default GNOME desktop now supports managing your fingerprints. Open Settings then navigate to System -> User, unlock then click “Fingerprint Login” to add or delete fingerprints.<\/p>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n
Step 5: Enable Fingerprint Authentication<\/h3>\n
If everything’s goes well, you can now run the single command below to manage PAM module:<\/p>\n
sudo pam-auth-update<\/pre>\n
In next screen, use up\/down<\/code> arrow keys to choose “Fingerprint authentication”, then press space-bar<\/code> to enable\/disable it. Finally, press Tab<\/code> to highlight OK and hit Enter.<\/p>\n
\"\"<\/p>\n
After that, either lock screen<\/b> then try using your fingerprint to un-lock. Or, run something or some commands that need user authentication, it will prompt you to “Place your finger on the fingerprint reader<\/i>“.<\/p>\n
\"\"<\/p>\n
Step 6: Make it work after resuming from sleep<\/h3>\n
The driver includes 2 systemd services to make it work after waking up from sleep. To enable them, run command:<\/p>\n
sudo systemctl enable open-fprintd-resume open-fprintd-suspend<\/pre>\n
They did not work in my case previously. Thanks to @YovanggaAnandhika from this bug report<\/a>, I added a patch to apply the workaround to the open-fprintd<\/code> package in PPA, so the fingerprint authentication works now in my case (except wake-up unclock) after waking up from sleep.<\/p>\n
If you installed the package from the developer’s PPA, then try manually adding the scripts by following the steps in that bug report (via the last link).<\/p>\n
Uninstall<\/h3>\n
So, if the driver does not work for your fingerprint reader, do following steps one by one to undo the changes.<\/p>\n
    \n
  • First, open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command to re-configure PAM:\n
    sudo pam-auth-update<\/pre>\n
    In the screen, disable fingerprint authentication<\/code> then, hit Tab and enter.<\/li>\n
  • Next, run command to uninstall the python3-validity driver:\n
    sudo apt remove --autoremove open-fprintd fprintd-clients python3-validity<\/pre>\n
    Also, remove the Ubuntu PPA by running command:<\/p>\n
    sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:uunicorn\/open-fprintd<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
    If you want, you may install back the original fprintd driver via command:<\/p>\n
    sudo apt install fprintd<\/pre>\n
    That’s all. Enjoy!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
    This is a step by step guide shows how to enable fingerprint reader support for Lenovo ThinkPad T480\/T480s, X1 Carbon 6th gen, X1 Yoga 3rd gen, X280, etc with 06cb:009a device in Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 24.04, Ubuntu 25.10, and Ubuntu 26.04. Ubuntu has fingerprint reader support out-of-the-box using libfprint, and provides option to enable fingerprint […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":45484,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[2146],"class_list":["post-45483","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-howtos","tag-fingerprint-reader"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ubuntuhandbook.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45483","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ubuntuhandbook.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ubuntuhandbook.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ubuntuhandbook.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ubuntuhandbook.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45483"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ubuntuhandbook.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45483\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ubuntuhandbook.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45484"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ubuntuhandbook.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45483"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ubuntuhandbook.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45483"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ubuntuhandbook.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45483"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}