Linux Mint 22.2 “Zara” introduces Fingwit, a smart fingerprint authentication tool offering secure login, sudo access, and PAM fallback support.

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Introduction

Linux Mint is in the process of releasing its version 22.2 called Zara, offering significant usability upgrades such as a fingerprint authentication tool, Fingwit. The existence of Fingwit was first whispered in the May 2025 newsletter, where it was described as a project for fingerprint authentication on Linux for login, sudo, and screen locking.

With smart fallbacks and wide hardware support, this XApp-based application is a major step toward integrating biometric security into the Linux Mint landscape.

What is Fingwit?

Fingwit is a new fingerprint enrollment and authentication tool included in the upcoming Linux Mint 22.2 “Zara” release. It was officially announced in Mint’s May 2025 newsletter.

This tool improves biometric login functions by supporting:

• login
• screen unlock
• sudo
• pkexec actions

As part of the XApp family, Fingwit is designed for easy integration and broader distro adoption.

How It Works

Fingwit uses a dual-module PAM setup:

• pam_fingwit.so acts as a gatekeeper, checking if fingerprint authentication can proceed.
• pam_fprintd.so handles the actual biometric verification with supported hardware.

You can find the tool’s logic documented in its GitHub repository. Flow diagrams and pseudocode provide insight into its implementation.
GitHub: xapp-project/fingwit

Smart Fallback Logic

A major strength of Fingwit is its ability to manage edge cases, especially with encrypted home directories that have caused login failures before. When it detects such conditions, Fingwit automatically switches to password authentication.

As Clement Lefebvre mentioned in OMG! Ubuntu:
“If your home directory is encrypted and your fingerprint can’t be read because the necessary data is inside that encrypted home, Fingwit detects that. Instead of failing and crashing the session, it skips to the password prompt.”

Cross-Distro Potential

Although Fingwit is developed by Linux Mint, it is created as an XApp, making it suitable for integration across different distributions.

Its dependencies on fprintd and PAM mean it can be used in:

• Ubuntu-based distributions
• NixOS
• Flatpak environments

Interest has already arisen in adapting Fingwit for these platforms.

Release Timeline & Hardware Notes

Fingwit will debut in Linux Mint 22.2, with:

• Beta release expected in late June 2025
• Final release anticipated by early to mid-July

Hardware compatibility relies on support from the fprintd and libfprint libraries. You can find a detailed list of supported devices on the official Freedesktop project page.

Why It Matters

As fingerprint scanners become common in modern laptops and desktops, reliable Linux support is increasingly important. Previous fingerprint solutions on Linux were often unreliable or inconsistent.

Fingwit aims to solve these problems with a modular, secure, and responsive design that improves the daily experience of Linux desktop users.

Fingwit significantly improves the overall user experience on desktop Linux by:

• Handling errors smoothly
• Working effortlessly with Linux’s authentication system
• Integrating swiftly with core system components

This makes it a significant usability upgrade in the open-source ecosystem.

Final Thoughts

With more Linux users choosing fingerprint-enabled hardware, Mint’s Fingwit tool arrives at just the right moment.

Unlike previous implementations, Fingwit reduces session failures by detecting edge cases—such as encrypted home directories—and gracefully switching over to password input.

While initially available only for Mint 22.2, the XApp being open-source means wider adoption into Ubuntu-based systems is a possibility.

With the release planned for late June or early July 2025, Fingwit is set to become the new standard for authentication on Linux desktops.