A new initiative called Credentials for Linux aims to bring passkeys to the Linux desktop, addressing a significant gap in the platform's identity and access management capabilities. While Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS have already implemented FIDO2 platform APIs, Linux has lacked a unified standard for browsers and native applications to leverage passkey technology.

Presented at FOSDEM 2026 in Brussels, the project introduces two key components: `libwebauthn`, a Rust library supporting USB, BLE, and hybrid authenticators, and `credentialsd`, a D-Bus service with XDG portal integration. The architecture includes Firefox integration through web extensions and Flatpak builds, with distribution packages available via OBS for Fedora and openSUSE. This cross-desktop effort focuses on sandboxed applications and browsers, ensuring compatibility across different Linux environments.

The implementation demonstrates how sandboxed Firefox can communicate with hardware security keys and smartphones through the D-Bus API, while native applications can access the same credential management system. The roadmap includes TPM-backed platform authenticators, origin binding for browsers, and collaboration with desktop environments like GNOME and KDE, as well as Flatpak and password managers. The project actively seeks contributors from distribution engineering, security, and identity management communities to establish passkeys as a first-class citizen on Linux platforms.