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Well, over the last few years I have been using Arch, I have tried to configure face-recognition login multiple times without success.
Got a new laptop and decided to try again, and I actually got surprisingly close to getting it to work.
Had to install python-dlib-git first as it was causing the main howdy-bin installation to fail, so in summary:
paru --sync --refresh--skipreview --noconfirm --asdeps 'python-dlib-git'
paru --sync --skipreview --noconfirm 'howdy-bin'Then followed the usual steps:
# get video device with
v4l2-ctl --list-devices | grep -m1 '/dev/video'
# set the video device on howdy config
sudo -E howdy config
# check if the black/white image of the IR camera is working (change device above if it doesn't)
sudo howdy test
# add model to the current user
sudo howdy addUltimately, I think this is where I had an issue. I am using KDE with SDDM. I've followed instructions from this discussion and my /etc/pam.d/system-auth ended up like:
#%PAM-1.0
auth required pam_faillock.so preauth
auth sufficient pam_howdy.so
# Optionally use requisite above if you do not want to prompt for the password
# on locked accounts.
-auth [success=3 default=ignore] pam_systemd_home.so
auth [success=2 default=ignore] pam_howdy.so
auth [success=1 default=bad] pam_unix.so try_first_pass nullok
auth [default=die] pam_faillock.so authfail
auth optional pam_permit.so
auth required pam_env.so
auth required pam_faillock.so authsucc
# If you drop the above call to pam_faillock.so the lock will be done also
# on non-consecutive authentication failures.
-account [success=1 default=ignore] pam_systemd_home.so
account required pam_unix.so
account optional pam_permit.so
account required pam_time.so
-password [success=1 default=ignore] pam_systemd_home.so
password required pam_unix.so try_first_pass nullok shadow
password optional pam_permit.so
-session optional pam_systemd_home.so
session required pam_limits.so
session required pam_unix.so quiet
session optional pam_permit.soAnd I finally have howdy working, with one caveat!
I need to press enter on an empty password prompt to trigger the face recognition.
I know this is not a very popular and frequently used tool, but even it being a long shot, does anyone with sufficient SDDM and/or pam knowledge could suggest what else I could try to have SDDM perform the face recognition with Howdy without the need to press enter with an empty password?
Thank you.
Regards.
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Q: without the need to press enter with an empty password?
A: you didnt enter empty password. You just inform that you are ready and wants to login now.
Otherwise howdy or whoever have to scan and process webcam frames for every 100ms unnecessary and costly.
or cause login when you no intend.
Last edited by unixman (2025-10-23 05:31:25)
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But that's exactly how Windows Hello works...
I don't need to press any key to log into Windows after my face has been recognised.
I agree that as a "default" and "standard" behaviour, this is okay, but one of the biggest reasons Linux is "just better" is because we usually have choices.
What if I do not want the standard behaviour, what if I do want the login to happen without the need to press enter, just like Windows Hello actually forces me (since I don't have a choice there), isn't there any way I can change configs to achieve this?
Thank you for taking the time to read until here.
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What if I do not want the standard behaviour.
you can change standart behaviour, here is linux.
So prepere yourself to a thought research:)
* How SDDM interact with howdy? or really SDDM is aware of there is howdy behind him and expect something.
* Is SDDM here as unnecessary Man In The Middle ?
* How howdy works really? it is uncontidionally continously scan webcam frames when (booting or its service starts)
or needs some event/response from something to begin to scan and process frames.
sory i cant help much.
edit: there is something come to my mind later:(my other speculation)
Actually you are already login, and your login session started behind the scene.
But since it is the SDDM that reponsible to start desktop session;
and SDDM it waiting input from you to go; therefore SDDM is BLOCKING you.
if you dont have to or want two different login helper(SDDM and howdy) to active at boot;
then you can disable SDDM and bind desktop-session activation(launch) to howdy by some means.
Last edited by unixman (2025-10-23 14:52:36)
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