linux

Pop_OS! on ThinkPad T580

Zach Schneider

• 2 min read

I finally decided to abandon Windows 10 and start using a Linux OS on my ThinkPad T580. I chose the popular Pop_OS! by System76, however there were a few things I needed to change.

Fingerprint Reader

My T580 has a Synaptics Metallica MIS Touch Fingerprint Reader (Device ID: 06cb:009a).

Synaptics Metallica MIS Touch Fingerprint Reader
A database of all the hardware that works under linux
Andrey Ponomarenko

This fingerprint reader is not supported out-of-the-box and requires additional software. According to Lenovo, this particular fingerprint reader is a "Match on Host" device and not a "Match on Chip" device. Therefore, Synaptics seems to have decided not to support linux for this model. There are some projects attempting to reverse-engineer a driver, with limited progress. The only working solution that I could find in 2023 is the python-validity project:

GitHub - uunicorn/python-validity: Validity fingerprint sensor prototype
Validity fingerprint sensor prototype. Contribute to uunicorn/python-validity development by creating an account on GitHub.
GitHubuunicorn

Touchpad

The touchpad in my T580 is a Synaptics TM3276-031.

Unknown Synaptics TM3276-031
A database of all the hardware that works under linux
Andrey Ponomarenko

Natural Scrolling

I prefer to use natural scrolling (a habit I gained from using my previous laptop, a MacBook Air).

synclient VertScrollDelta=-80
synclient HorizScrollDelta=-80
Command to enable "natural" scrolling.

Add to ~/.xinitrc to persist across reboots.

Horizontal Scrolling

synclient HorizTwoFingerScroll=1
Command to enable horizontal scrolling.

Add to ~/.xinitrc to persist across reboots.