eToken and Linux

To make the eToken PKI 5.0 client work on my 64bit Fedora 11 workstation with the 32bit version of the Aladdin eToken middle ware I had to install the following packages: hal-libs.i586, libusb.i586, openct.i586, pcsc-lite-openct.i586, pcsc-lite-libs.i586, pcsc-lite.i586 and dependencies.

rpm -ivh pkiclient-5.00.28-0.i386.rpm Preparing... ########################################### [100%] 1:pkiclient ########################################### [100%] Adding eToken security provider....done. Starting PC/SC smart card daemon (pcscd): [ OK ] PKI Client installation completed.

If you don’t install the 32bit version of the packages, the installation of the pkiclient software will result in a error. The pkiclient software does need one of the following bundle dirs ‘/usr/lib/readers’ or ‘/usr/lib/pcsc/drivers’, or else it will exit with the error message below.

rpm -ivh pkiclient-5.00.28-0.i386.rpm Preparing... ########################################### [100%] Error: cannot find pcsc-lite bundles directory. error: %pre(pkiclient-5.00.28-0.i386) scriptlet failed, exit status 11 error: install: %pre scriptlet failed (2), skipping pkiclient-5.00.28-0

Do not try to add the eToken as a security device in Firefox or Thunderbird as you’re probably running the 64bit version of the applications. The 64bit applications refuse to load the 32bit ‘libeTPkcs11.so’, you’ll be prompted with a message “Unable to add module”.
I have requested the 64bit version of the middle ware, which should make things easier.