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Getting Started

Get Gaze running in under 10 minutes: install, enroll your face, and verify authentication.

Before you begin

  • Linux desktop with a working PipeWire/GStreamer webcam
  • sudo access
  • Internet connection for first-time model download

Step 1: Install Gaze

Recommended one-line installer:

bash
curl -fsSL https://gaze.gundulabs.com/install.sh | sh

If you prefer manual package setup, use the installation guide.

Step 2: Check daemon status

bash
systemctl status gazed

If it is not running:

bash
sudo systemctl enable --now gazed

Step 3: Enroll your first face

bash
gaze add-face default

Tips while enrolling:

  • Keep your face centered and well lit.
  • Let it capture multiple angles.
  • Remove strong backlight if possible.

Step 4: Test authentication

bash
gaze auth

For extra details:

bash
gaze auth --verbose

Step 5: Open the GUI (optional)

bash
gaze-gui

Use the GUI to enroll additional face profiles (for example, with glasses and without glasses).

Step 6: Verify GNOME lock screen auth (optional)

Only do this on GNOME if you want face unlock from the lock screen. The one-line installer enables the extension for the current GNOME user when possible. If you installed packages manually or the installer could not enable it automatically, run:

bash
gnome-extensions enable gaze@gundulabs.com
gsettings set org.gnome.shell.extensions.gaze enable-face-authentication true

On Wayland, log out and back in after installing extension updates if the lock screen does not pick it up immediately.

Lock screen and GDM login integration are GNOME-only and require this extension. GDM login face auth is separate and disabled by default due to GNOME keyring behavior. See GNOME Extension for details and optional login enablement.

If something fails

Go to the troubleshooting guide for camera, daemon, PAM, and low-match issues.

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