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A concerned user about fprint software and Debian drop me his doubts
and questions, I'm forwarding them here (with users' consent) so anyone
else out there sharing the same concerns could find an answer.<br>
<br>
<br>
Greetings,<br>
<br>
Dererk<br>
<br>
-------- Original Message --------
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<th nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE" align="RIGHT">Subject: </th>
<td>Re: fprintd</td>
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<th nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE" align="RIGHT">Date: </th>
<td>Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:01:51 -0300</td>
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<pre>On 19/08/10 18:20, Pietro xxxxxxx wrote:
> This:
> <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://lists.alioth.debian.org/pipermail/fingerforce-devel/2010-August/000323.html">http://lists.alioth.debian.org/pipermail/fingerforce-devel/2010-August/000323.html</a>
> is very sad news for me, both as a Debian user with a fingerprint reader
> and as a Debian contributor which doesn't like to see it lagging behind
> other distributions in terms of functionality
>
[snip]
> Before reading your message, I was dreaming of fprintd in Debian...
> since Fedora has it since years, it is certainly tested.
>
Hi Pietro!
I would like to clarify what will be happening and what this decision
has influence in.
Basically, the decision is based on the matureness/activity on the
project under the eyes of a stable release such quality and robustness
as Debian uses to bring on every cycle.
This doesn't mean *at all* that we will not keep working and continue
caring about the fprint software, we are just putting on the balance
what an stable release must accomplish as a requirement in terms of
security and robustness, and even though I'm really sad too about having
to take this decision, we think and hope its in our users' best.
Once again, users interested on using this software on the next stable
release will have to fetch them from either backports (that we would
provide very soon), or unstable/testing (after being released).
In what respects to the fprintd implementation on Debian, there are some
bulletpoints to take into account:
- I've read many many times saying that either the libfprint part or the
dbus part (fprintd) were between them both API-unstable and
backward-uncompatible by that time (maybe that changed over the last
year, dunno really)
- Main goal on having a software in the archive is to have some users or
a set of software that requires it to run actively out there. Currently,
and I hope I'm completely wrong on this, I've just saw only one piece of
software that users fprintd and it's not DFSG-compatible nor binary
distributable.
- Fedora's fprintd packager/maintainer is the same fprintd upstream.
That's really awesome, as the quality of the software should be
remarkable, but it doesn't really speak after the stability nor the
matureness by itself.
We will for sure introduce it and hope we could work together with
Fedora's folks on having it running on a good shape, but right now it
doesn't appear to be a priority.
------------------------------------------------
On 20/08/10 10:15, Pietro xxxxxx wrote:
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<pre wrap=""><span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>Just for curiosity, what is the non DFSG-compatible piece of software
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>which uses fprintd? As far as I know, the dbus service is used in Fedora
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>by the "Screensaver preferences" dialog, which integrates (again, I'm
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>speaking for what I was told, not for what I personally tested) the
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>possibility of enabling fingerprint authentication and enrolling
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>fingers. (and I imagine this is DFSG-compatible, though maybe not
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>available as released software)
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>
</pre>
</blockquote>
Oh, great typo, I meant to say "uses" not "users". Sorry for the
confusion.
The only piece of software I know uses fprintd uses a UPEK©'s binary
blob undistributable for Debian under their license.
And of course, if there exists more software out there that is using
it,
it changes a lot this statement and I'll be <b class="moz-txt-star"><span
class="moz-txt-tag">*</span>very<span class="moz-txt-tag">*</span></b>
interesting in
resuming this task. Please let me know it if you came across any!
<blockquote type="cite" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<pre wrap=""><span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>By the way: I dream of fprintd in Debian simply because it enables - at
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>least, that's what was told me on fprint mailing list - fingerprint
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>authentication at wakeup from standby, which is currently impossible in
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>Debian (if I recall correctly, because of an issue with permissions
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>needed).
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>
</pre>
</blockquote>
I would be really interested in solving this issue up, do you have any
information around that I can start with?
<blockquote type="cite" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<pre wrap=""><span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>thanks again
<span class="moz-txt-citetags">> </span>
</pre>
</blockquote>
On the other way round, thank you for caring and letting me know your
concerns about fprint and Debian, your input is very appreciate!
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