Ubuntu 24.04 howdy 3.0.0 beta installation
- Dominant language
- Python
- Stars
- 7.8k
- Forks
- 412
- PR merge metrics
- No merged PRs in 30d
Description
I found many issues related to Ubuntu 24.04. However, they are messing up different howdy versions and don't solve the problem. So, I decided to create this issue and post my working solution.
1. Clone the project with version 3.0.0 beta
2. Edit `meson.options` and modify `option('install_pam_config', type: 'boolean', value: true, description: 'Install pam config file (for Debian/Ubuntu)')`. Build and install as mentioned in README. I have no idea why this isn't a default behavior.
3. `sudo howdy add`. It might give errors. Most python modules can be installed using apt except dlib.
4. `sudo pip3 install dlib --break-system-packages`. Try to add face again. It will ask you to run a script to download models. Chinese users may have network problems. Check the script and manually do that.
5. Config the camera https://github.com/boltgolt/howdy/wiki/Common-issues#error-when-trying-to-add-a-face-model
6. Now, you can add and test the face. Authentication for sudo should work now.
7. The login face recognition still has a problem. You need to manually modify `/usr/local/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/howdy/compare.py`. Add `sys.path.append('/usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages')` after the `import sys` line.
8. The new version has a GUI utility howdy-gtk. Python module `elevate` is needed which is also not provide by apt. `sudo pip3 install elevate --break-system-packages`. With `sudo howdy-gtk`, you get the following GUI:

Contributor guide
No contributing guide indexed for this repository
Research direction
Start with README, meson.options, and compare.py, then reproduce the Ubuntu 24.04 beta installation steps described in the issue. Check howdy add, sudo authentication, login recognition, and howdy-gtk; done means these installation and authentication paths work without the listed manual workarounds.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- linux, python, ubuntu
- Domain
- authentication, build-system, operating-systems
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Needs clarification
- Newbie friendliness
- 25/100