If you get a fingerprint reader, you can set up a fingerprint authentication functionality to Ubuntu, including a seamless integration into GNOME 2.x, Unity and GNOME 3.x using FPrint.
I would like to get a Surface Pro Type Cover with Fingerprint reader working with a Surface Pro 3 running Windows 8.1. The store page said it was compatible with the Surface Pro 3, and doesn't specify that you must be running Windows 10. I've been using fingerprint authentication on PCs since Windows 2000 days, so it's not as if they are new technology.Unfortunately, so far every attempt has failed, no Biometric devices show up automatically in Device Manager when the cover is clipped into the SP3 (as the keyboard and touch pad devices do) and the current Windows 10 drivers refuse to work with Windows 8.1. Even looking up the unknown devices VID and PID just points to an unrelated wacom device.Upgrading to Windows 10 right at this moment is far from conveninet, so is it possible the Surface Pro Type Cover with Fingerprint reader to work with Windows 8.1?
Contrary to what has been suggested in the comments, this is actually possible, just pretty difficult to arrange, and requires you to be willing to disable driver signing to install a Microsoft driver.First go to to manually download a copy of the Surface Pro 3 drivers. The driver package you want is currently called SurfacePro3Win101601280.zip but the important things are that you want the ZIP archive of the Windows 10 drivers.Inside that ZIP file there is a directory DriversAccessoriesSurfaceFingerprintSensor. Extract the contents of this directory somewhere - your desktop will be fine.You won't be able to install this driver because it's signed for Windows 10 not Windows 8. However, you can cheat. Use the Settings button on the Windows 8 menu to go into the Metro settings. Select Change PC Settingsthen Update and recovery then Recovery. At the bottom you will see an option labelled Advanced Startup.
Press that button to reboot into the Advanced Startup menu. (There are a number of other ways to get here - see, for example, for a list.)In Advanced Startup, select Troubleshoot then Advanced Options. Then Startup Settings. Your PC may reboot, and if you are using Bitlocker, you may need your Bitlocker recovery key to access this menu.Select option 7 to disable driver signing enforcement. This is not to be recommended under normal circumstances, but all we'll be doing is installing the one Microsoft driver and then rebooting.Once the PC has booted, go into the directory where you copied the files, and right click on the SurfaceFingerprintSensor.ini file, and select `install. Your driver will now install.
Reboot the machine, and your fingerprint sensor should now be working. Use Device Manager to check that it has installed correctly.Once this is done, from Windows 8 settings, go to Change PC Settings then Accounts then Sign in options.
There should now be an option available to register your fingerprints.This may possibly work for Windows 7 as well.