The Windows subsystem for Linux (WSL) is an important part of Windows 10. First for developers building web and cloud applications, WSL today turned into something much more powerful that will bring two operating systems well different together. From WSL 2, the Linux cover is powered by a combination of Microsoft’s Hyper-V virtualization technology, and carries with it a Microsoft-compiled and supported Linux kernel. The integration between WSL and the default Windows 10 is so flexible that Windows machines could easily run from the Linux command line and vice versa.
But the fun doesn’t end there. Tinkerers will often come up with mods that will show you just how powerful the Windows subsystem for Linux can be if you are willing to think outside the box. If you’ve been whining about some awesome WSL tweaks, this article is for you. Meet “WSL Hello sudo” – an open source utility that allows you to execute sudo commands in a Linux instance using Windows Hello biometric authentication (via Liliputing).
Takaya Saeki, a Japanese software developer who accompanies the alias nullpo-head, is the brain behind this horrible project. As seen in the animation above, WSL Hello sudo can quickly replace the quick password interface with the familiar Windows Hello interface, allowing you to face, search- finger, or use a PIN to validate the sudo application.
WSL Hello sudo has two OS-specific components: a pluggable authentication module (PAM) on the Linux side and a companion Windows app that is in charge of attacking Windows Hello. The PAM module relies on mapping the Linux user authentication request to the Windows 10 user’s Windows Hello signature. Thanks to such a modular design, WSL Hello sudo is compatible with both under first-generation Windows system for Linux and WSL 2.
Setting up WSL Hello sudo is very simple. All you have to do is download the pre-prepared binaries, activate the install.sh script under Windows subsystem for Linux, and then go through the normal PAM module configuration process. We recommend that you check out the troublesome section of the project reader if you have any trouble setting it up.
WSL Hello sudo GitHub Repo