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Linux System Authentication ​

NOTE

Linux system authentication was added after the public auth-v4.4.22 release from May 6, 2026. Use a newer Ente Auth desktop release before following this guide.

Ente Auth uses Polkit to ask your Linux desktop to authenticate the current user. Polkit then uses your host PAM configuration, so the prompt may accept your account password, fingerprint, or another method configured by your distribution.

Register the Polkit Policy ​

Deb, RPM, and pacman packages install the policy automatically. If Ente Auth shows Linux setup required, install the policy manually.

The policy action is:

text
io.ente.auth.unlock

Manual Policy Setup ​

Flatpak apps cannot install host Polkit policies by themselves, and AppImage or manual builds may also need manual setup. Download the policy from GitHub and verify its SHA-256 checksum before installing it:

sh
policy_url="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ente-io/ente/main/mobile/apps/auth/assets/polkit/io.ente.auth.policy"
policy_sha256="31e4fb0757c8a55cee49324ddc310ff660a53d7f143049de202510fa58fe1d24"
policy="$(mktemp)"

if curl -fsSL "$policy_url" -o "$policy" &&
  printf "%s  %s\n" "$policy_sha256" "$policy" | sha256sum -c -; then
  sudo install -D -o root -g root -m 0644 \
    "$policy" \
    /usr/share/polkit-1/actions/io.ente.auth.policy

  if command -v chcon >/dev/null 2>&1; then
    sudo chcon system_u:object_r:usr_t:s0 \
      /usr/share/polkit-1/actions/io.ente.auth.policy || true
  fi

  pkaction --action-id io.ente.auth.unlock --verbose
else
  echo "Policy download or checksum verification failed. Not installing."
fi

rm -f "$policy"

Fingerprint Prompts ​

The Polkit policy only registers Ente Auth as an application that can request system authentication. Password versus fingerprint is controlled by your Linux PAM and fprintd setup.

On Ubuntu, if password authentication works but fingerprint is not offered:

sh
fprintd-list "$USER"
sudo apt install fprintd libpam-fprintd
sudo pam-auth-update
grep -n "pam_fprintd" /etc/pam.d/common-auth
cat /etc/pam.d/polkit-1

Enable Fingerprint authentication in pam-auth-update. Polkit should route through common-auth; otherwise /etc/pam.d/polkit-1 may remain password-only.