How do I get the fingerprint reader to work in Ubuntu 21.04? (XPS 15)

Question

I've tried this and this. Following the second linked post, fprintd-enroll spits out Impossible to enroll: GDBus.Error:net.reactivated.Fprint.Error.NoSuchDevice: No devices available

After following the first linked reddit post, there isn't an option in user settings to setup the fingerprint. Same applies to this script. Any ideas how to make this work?

lsusb:

Bus 004 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 003 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
Bus 001 Device 004: ID 27c6:5395 Shenzhen Goodix Technology Co.,Ltd. Fingerprint Reader
Bus 001 Device 003: ID 8087:0a2b Intel Corp. Bluetooth wireless interface
Bus 001 Device 002: ID 046d:c08b Logitech, Inc. G502 SE HERO Gaming Mouse
Bus 001 Device 005: ID 0c45:6723 Microdia Integrated_Webcam_HD
Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub

Laptop: Dell XPS 15

CPU: i7-9750H

GPU: GTX 1650

RAM: 16GB

SSD: NVMe

Solution

It’s very rare for Shenzhen Goodix to release a Linux driver for their fingerprint readers as the company generally does just enough to ensure its Windows drivers operate. However, because this is being used by a Dell — and because Dell wants their machines to be fully compatible with Ubuntu — there is a driver available!

Here’s how to install it:

1. Download the libfprint-2-tod1-goodix_0.0.6-0ubuntu1~somerville1_amd64.deb package file using your browser of choice or via the Terminal like:

   wget -O ~/Downloads http://dell.archive.canonical.com/updates/pool/public/libf/libfprint-2-tod1-goodix/libfprint-2-tod1-goodix_0.0.6-0ubuntu1~somerville1_amd64.deb
   

   ^{Note: Download the 0.0.6 package or something newer. The original 0.0.4 package is garbage and only ever worked when Dell installed Ubuntu before shipping the device.}
2. In Terminal, install the package with dpkg:

   sudo dpkg -i libfprint-2-tod1-goodix_0.0.6-0ubuntu1~somerville1_amd64.deb
   

3. Reboot
4. Register the fingerprint sensor:

   fprintd-enroll
   

5. Configure your device

Starting with 21.10, you may not need to do this anymore as Linux kernel 5.12 and newer will support the device out of the box.

Comments

[Frappy]

Still doesn't work: Impossible to enroll: GDBus.Error:net.reactivated.Fprint.Error.NoSuchDevice: No devices available. Idk what it is, but everything seems to be broken. My graphics drivers also completely gave up: askubuntu.com/questions/1363044/…

[matigo]

From what I’ve read, a lot of the hardware has better support with the newest kernel, so you may want to try running a live 21.10 USB session to verify if everything is working properly. Though 21.10 is still in testing, it’s pretty solid 👍🏻

[Frappy]

Can I actually install 21.10 or am I limited to a live USB session? Isn't 21.10 still in an early state?

[matigo]

Yes, you can install 21.10 if you elect to. It is still in testing, with a final release scheduled for next month. Testing with a Live USB will simply let you know ahead of time whether everything is working or not.

[Klap-in]

In the udev/rules.d of the linked driver only the following ids are mentioned: 27c6:538c , 27c6:533c , 27c6:530c and 27c6:5840 Why would this driver work for the 27c6:5395 as mentioned in the starting post. Or is the list in udev not complete?

[Mai Hai]

This does not work on Pop OS 20.10 at Jan 2022. It failed at step 2, even with versions of 0.0.4 or 0.0.6. With lsusb, Pop OS can detect the fingerprint, but no option for using it on Settings.

[matigo]

Pop!OS != Ubuntu 🤐