Hi folks,

I am currently in the research stage of a (pseudo)embedded device
project that uses a fingerprint reader and I am trying to determine
whether I can recommend Linux!

Does anyone know if an OEM reader exists that either has a linux lib
or can do everything over USB/RS-232?
If the reader itself can do the verification/identification then that
is ideal, otherwise there will have to be a linux-compatible lib or
utility.

Thanks in advance!

Cheers,
--asph

spherical@internode.on.net (asph) writes:

>Does anyone know if an OEM reader exists that either has a linux lib
>or can do everything over USB/RS-232?

What are you wanting besides the pointers that Google provides?

--kyler

Kyler Laird <Kyler@news.Lairds.org> writes:

> spherical@internode.on.net (asph) writes:
>
> >Does anyone know if an OEM reader exists that either has a linux lib
> >or can do everything over USB/RS-232?
>
> What are you wanting besides the pointers that Google provides?

I'm not the OP, but I'd be interesting to know if anyone has
successfully used a fingerprint reader as a way to log in under Linux.
Now *that* would be cool!.

-Dan

Dan Anderson <dan@mathjunkies.com> writes:

>> >Does anyone know if an OEM reader exists that either has a linux lib
>> >or can do everything over USB/RS-232?
>>
>> What are you wanting besides the pointers that Google provides?
>
> I'm not the OP, but I'd be interesting to know if anyone has
> successfully used a fingerprint reader as a way to log in under Linux.
> Now *that* would be cool!.

Possibly, and also insecure. I read about someone who had managed to
lift a fingerprint from a reader, make a rubber finger, and have the
reader verify it. Using fingerprints for authentication is almost
like writing your password on the keyboard.

--
Måns Rullgård
mru@kth.se

mru@kth.se (Måns Rullgård) writes:

> Dan Anderson <dan@mathjunkies.com> writes:
>
> >> >Does anyone know if an OEM reader exists that either has a linux lib
> >> >or can do everything over USB/RS-232?
> >>
> >> What are you wanting besides the pointers that Google provides?
> >
> > I'm not the OP, but I'd be interesting to know if anyone has
> > successfully used a fingerprint reader as a way to log in under Linux.
> > Now *that* would be cool!.
>
> Possibly, and also insecure. I read about someone who had managed to
> lift a fingerprint from a reader, make a rubber finger, and have the
> reader verify it. Using fingerprints for authentication is almost
> like writing your password on the keyboard.

Oh well. It would have looked cool though. Talk about a chick
magnet. :-D

-Dan

On Wed, 3 Dec 2003 17:14:15 UTC in comp.os.linux.hardware, mru@kth.se
(Måns Rullgård) wrote:

> Dan Anderson <dan@mathjunkies.com> writes:
>
> >> >Does anyone know if an OEM reader exists that either has a linux lib
> >> >or can do everything over USB/RS-232?
> >>
> >> What are you wanting besides the pointers that Google provides?
> >
> > I'm not the OP, but I'd be interesting to know if anyone has
> > successfully used a fingerprint reader as a way to log in under Linux.
> > Now *that* would be cool!.
>
> Possibly, and also insecure. I read about someone who had managed to
> lift a fingerprint from a reader, make a rubber finger, and have the
> reader verify it. Using fingerprints for authentication is almost
> like writing your password on the keyboard.

And has the opposite drawback too... if you ever had an accident and
lost that finger then you wouldn't be able to logon.

I think the thing with rubber fingerprints was on an episode of CSI:
Crime Scene Investigation... doesn't make it true since there appears
to be an awful lot of bollocks in that program as well as fact ;-)

--
Trevor Hemsley, Brighton, UK.
Trevor-Hemsley@dial.pipex.com

"Trevor Hemsley" <Trevor-Hemsley@no.spam.dial.pipex.com> writes:

>> >> >Does anyone know if an OEM reader exists that either has a linux lib
>> >> >or can do everything over USB/RS-232?
>> >>
>> >> What are you wanting besides the pointers that Google provides?
>> >
>> > I'm not the OP, but I'd be interesting to know if anyone has
>> > successfully used a fingerprint reader as a way to log in under Linux.
>> > Now *that* would be cool!.
>>
>> Possibly, and also insecure. I read about someone who had managed to
>> lift a fingerprint from a reader, make a rubber finger, and have the
>> reader verify it. Using fingerprints for authentication is almost
>> like writing your password on the keyboard.
>
> And has the opposite drawback too... if you ever had an accident and
> lost that finger then you wouldn't be able to logon.

It needn't bee that dramatic. Who hasn't ever cut their finger,
altering the fingerprint, at least temporarily?

> I think the thing with rubber fingerprints was on an episode of CSI:
> Crime Scene Investigation... doesn't make it true since there appears
> to be an awful lot of bollocks in that program as well as fact ;-)

That's not where I heard about it. A quick Google search turned up
this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1991517.stm. It seems a bit
more credible than CSI to me.

--
Måns Rullgård
mru@kth.se

Måns Rullgård wrote:

>> I'm not the OP, but I'd be interesting to know if anyone has
>> successfully used a fingerprint reader as a way to log in under Linux.
>> Now *that* would be cool!.
>
> Possibly, and also insecure. I read about someone who had managed to
> lift a fingerprint from a reader, make a rubber finger, and have the
> reader verify it. Using fingerprints for authentication is almost
> like writing your password on the keyboard.

Maybe this is the information you are refering too?

http://heise.de/ct/english/02/11/114/

"Trevor Hemsley" <Trevor-Hemsley@no.spam.dial.pipex.com> writes:

>I think the thing with rubber fingerprints was on an episode of CSI:
>Crime Scene Investigation... doesn't make it true since there appears
>to be an awful lot of bollocks in that program as well as fact ;-)

I recall reading about it...lessee...yup, here it is.
http://www.computercops.biz/article2754.html

Favorite part:
Lisa and Starbug say they developed their technique after
developers of fingerprint scanning equipment claimed that
their first attack did not present a credible threat because
it could only be carried out under laboratory conditions. The
two plan to test their new field technique later this week at
German computer hardware store which uses fingerprint
biometrics in their electronic purchasing system.

--kyler

On Wed, 03 Dec 2003 18:14:15 +0100, Måns Rullgård wrote:

> Dan Anderson <dan@mathjunkies.com> writes:
>
>>> >Does anyone know if an OEM reader exists that either has a linux lib
>>> >or can do everything over USB/RS-232?
>>>
>>> What are you wanting besides the pointers that Google provides?
>>
>> I'm not the OP, but I'd be interesting to know if anyone has
>> successfully used a fingerprint reader as a way to log in under Linux.
>> Now *that* would be cool!.
>
> Possibly, and also insecure. I read about someone who had managed to lift
> a fingerprint from a reader, make a rubber finger, and have the reader
> verify it. Using fingerprints for authentication is almost like writing
> your password on the keyboard.

I imagine for secure login you could design a system equiped with a spool
of very thin clear plastic running over the fingerprint reader, after
every login you would advance the spool and then destroy (incinerate..)
the plastic