I am a new Linux user and am having a difficult time finding clear, straightforward instructions on getting the fingerprint scanner to work on Pop_os 21.04. Can someone please help me out?
I’d suggest that as a new Linux user you should stick to Ubuntu LTS. Currently that’s Ubuntu 20.04.3. Lots of information about Ubuntu applies to Pop_OS! but not all and if someone knows how to do something on Ubuntu but haven’t tested it on Pop_OS! it’s likely they won’t say it since they aren’t sure whether it would work or not. For that reason the best favor you can do yourself is using the stable version of one of the most popular Linux distros. That’ll guarantee you can use all of the mountains of documentation out there. Case in point, I could point you towards something that will work on Ubuntu 20.04 but I have no idea whether it will work on Pop_OS! 21.04 and I’m not going to direct a new user on a wild goose chase that they may not be able to get out of if it goes haywire.
For perspective:
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I haven’t tested on 21.04, but on Pop!_OS 22.04 it’s as simple as sudo apt install libpam-fprintd. Once that’s installed, you can register your fingerprint in the Users section of Settings.
(Also, I think Pop!_OS is a great choice as a beginner to Linux!)