Configure Ubuntu’s Uncomplicated Firewall through Gufw, a graphical firewall interface.
Open source
24 alternativesHowdy
Add face-based authentication to Linux using Howdy, which works with built-in infrared emitters and cameras.
About Howdy
Howdy adds facial authentication to Linux using built-in IR emitters and cameras. It uses PAM, so face recognition can be used where a password is normally required, including login, lock screen, sudo, and su.
After installation, users enroll a face with sudo howdy add and manage models with the howdy command, including list, remove, test, snapshot, and config options. It is packaged for Debian/Ubuntu, Arch Linux, Fedora, and openSUSE, and needs compatible IR camera hardware.
Key features
- Uses IR emitters and camera for facial recognition
- Authenticates through PAM for login, lock screen, sudo, su
- Adds face models with sudo howdy add
- Lists, removes, or clears saved face models
- Tests camera and recognition with howdy test
- Takes camera input snapshot with howdy snapshot
Best for: Linux users with IR-equipped cameras who want face authentication for login and sudo prompts.
Good for
- Works across login, lock screen, sudo, and su via PAM
- Packaged for Debian/Ubuntu, Arch Linux, Fedora, and openSUSE
- Includes command-line tools to add, list, and remove face models
Watch out for
- Requires built-in IR emitters and camera to function
- Arch Linux install needs additional configuration steps
- Fedora 41 install may fail because of Python 2 dependency
Howdy at a glance
- Website
- github.com/boltgolt/howdy
- Category
- Privacy & Security › Desktop & OS Privacy
- Type
- Open-source project
- Pricing
- Not confirmed. Check the site
- Platforms
- Linux, Windows
- Open source
- Yes · Source code
- Language
- English
- Last checked
- Oct 5, 2026 · Online when checked
- Listed
- Oct 5, 2026
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Howdy FAQ
How do I set up face recognition after installing Howdy?
Run sudo howdy add to add a face model, then open a new terminal and run sudo -i to test it.
Which Linux distributions have Howdy packages?
Debian/Ubuntu, Arch Linux, Fedora, and openSUSE, with build-from-source instructions for others.
How do I change Howdy settings?
Run sudo howdy config to open the central config file, which on most systems opens in nano where ctrl+x saves changes.
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