# ZimengXiong/tinyTouch

authenticate, sudo, login with your fingerprint wire(less)ly without having to spend $149 at the cost of some security

Repository: https://github.com/ZimengXiong/tinyTouch
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/tinytouch
Homepage: https://alpacaengineer.ing/tinytouch
Language: Python
License: MIT
License Family: permissive
Last push: 2026-08-23T21:20:20+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 69/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 67, longevity 4
- inputs: {"age_days": 59, "days_push": 10, "days_rel": 11, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 1}
- flags: young
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1500, forks 87 (observed 2026-08-28T04:04:53.947668+00:00)

## What it is
tinyTouch is an open-source DIY hardware and software project that lets you authenticate, sudo, and log in to your computer with a fingerprint via a wireless ESP32-based fingerprint sensor. It supports two modes: HID (typing credentials over USB) and PIV/PAM (challenge-response smartcard authentication gated by fingerprint).

## Use cases
- log in to my mac with a fingerprint without buying a $149 device
- authenticate sudo prompts with a fingerprint sensor
- unlock my lockscreen with a fingerprint over PIV
- build my own wireless fingerprint reader with an ESP32
- use fingerprint auth for Apple TCC prompts
- avoid typing my password for remote SSH sudo sessions

## When to choose
- you want keyboardless fingerprint login/sudo on macOS or Linux without expensive commercial hardware
- you enjoy building your own hardware and accept DIY security tradeoffs
- you need PIV challenge-response auth that never exposes your password over USB

## When to avoid
- you need maximum security - the sensor-to-ESP UART is unauthenticated and flash dumping is a risk without secure boot
- you want a plug-and-play commercial product rather than soldering and flashing firmware
- you need fingerprint auth everywhere including general settings and keychain on macOS (PIV mode limitations)

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: active
- function: auth, security, embedded, developer-tools
- domain: security, hardware, self-hosted, privacy
- platform: python, embedded, cross-platform
- tags: fingerprint-authentication, pam, piv, esp32, diy-hardware, biometrics, sudo, hid, two-factor, macos, linux

## Member repositories
- ZimengXiong/tinyTouch (main) score 69

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:53.947668+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T04:32:59.124049+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/ZimengXiong/tinyTouch (fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:53.947668+00:00, sha 518c716bd33e)
  - homepage: https://alpacaengineer.ing/tinytouch (fetched 2026-08-29T11:37:55.610499+00:00, sha acdf622edd05)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.