Howdy on Debian Testing KDE Plasma

Explanation

This is what I do in my Debian testing to set Howdy to work correctly because it doesn't work "out of the box" in my distro. Sorry for my English. I collect all the tips from the comment in the section "issues" and hope they can be useful to other people.

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Disabling externally-managed-environment

It is necessary to disable the externally-managed-environment security option from your distro because I don't found another solution for install the required python library's.

• remove file /usr/lib/python3.x/EXTERNALLY-MANAGED (or simply move it)

sudo mv /usr/lib/python3.x/EXTERNALLY-MANAGED /usr/lib/python3.x/EXTERNALLY-MANAGED.backup

now install the .deb package of the last version of Howdy

sudo dpkg -i howdy*.deb

Fix the script (for Debian testing)

into the file /lib/security/howdy/pam.py have to change just two lines and use small font:

import ConfigpParser --> import configparser (in line 10)

config = ConfigParser.ConfigParser() --> config = configparser.ConfigParser() (in line 13)

and now give the right permission

sudo chmod +x /lib/security/howdy/pam.py

continue with howdy config and howdy add.

Workaround for KDE Plasma

get permission for the login screen because it won't work and freezes without it

sudo chmod +x /lib/security/howdy/recorders/

sudo chmod o+x /lib/security/howdy/dlib-data/

Now I make these small changes in pam configuration because, in my opinion, it is better to have the first access to your computer (in ex. after a reboot) only with a password and not with my ugly face.

into the file /etc/pam.d/common-auth howdy add this line

auth sufficient pam_python.so /lib/security/howdy/pam.py

just comment it #

#auth sufficient pam_python.so /lib/security/howdy/pam.py

now inside /etc/pam.d/sudo add this line (first):

auth sufficient pam_python.so /lib/security/howdy/pam.py

now create a file /etc/pam.d/kde (it is for the login screen after hibernation or just after the lock screen)

auth sufficient pam_python.so /lib/security/howdy/pam.py

auth required pam_succeed_if.so user != root quiet_success

auth required pam_permit.so

@include common-auth

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I hope this is the right way to configure Howdy, please feel free to comment on it and help me if I make some errors. Thanks, and thanks to the howdy staff!!