[arch-dev-public] New package group in extra: fprint

[Aaron Griffin]

On Jan 8, 2008 2:20 AM, Thomas Bächler <thomas at archlinux.org> wrote:
> The fprint project (http://www.reactivated.net/fprint/wiki/Main_Page)
> has been around for about 3 months now and produced quite usable
> results. Right now, there are three packages:
>
> - libfprint
> A library that abstracts the tasks of enrolling and verifying
> fingerprints and includes hardware drivers. Currently only USB readers
> are supported and are accessed using libusb. There is no stable API yet,
> however the library is in a usable and stable state.
> Note that many common USB fingerprint readers and laptop builtin readers
> are supported, including the ones supported by the thinkfinger project!
>
> - fprint_demo
> This application demonstrates what libfprint can currently do. You can
> enroll fingerprints, verify your fingers or identify fingers from a set
> of enrolles prints.
>
> - pam_fprint
> This pam plugin allows authenticating with your fingerprint. It
> currently only checks your finger against the first enrolled print it
> can find in your $HOME and is not configurable.
>
> I am adding these packages to extra now.

Now, I don't want to be rude or anything, and this specific set of
packages are for hardware support, so odds are no one would disagree
with them - but while you were away we agreed to discuss packages that
go into extra beforehand. It's just a minor protection mechanism
against getting special case packages pulled into extra. I don't think
too many people have a problem with additional hardware support, so
this should be a moot point.

But going forward, could we at least get some time to look into these
things before they're moved to extra, just so we try to prevent the
situation like we have currently, with hundreds of unused packages
floating around in extra.