---
title: Install Modem Authenticator on Linux | Snap Store
description: Get the latest version of Modem Authenticator for Linux - FCC unlock
  service for WWAN/modem modules
url: https://snapcraft.io/modem-authenticator-test
---

# Modem Authenticator (modem-authenticator-test)

[Yarong Pu (yarong-pu)](https://snapcraft.io/publisher/yarong-pu "View all snaps from Yarong Pu (yarong-pu)")

* [Yarong Pu (yarong-pu)](https://snapcraft.io/publisher/yarong-pu "View all snaps from Yarong Pu (yarong-pu)")

latest/edge 1.1.1

Install latest/edge of Modem Authenticator

---

**Install using the command line**

```
sudo snap install modem-authenticator-test --edge
```

Don't have snapd? [Get set up for snaps](https://snapcraft.io/docs/installing-snapd).

Modem Authenticator is only available on the unstable edge channel. It could break and change often.

---

### Package name

* modem-authenticator-test

---

### License

* GPL-3.0-only

---

### Last updated

* 21 September 2026 - latest/edge

---

##### Report a Snap Store violation

* [Report this Snap](https://snapcraft.io/modem-authenticator-test#report-snap-modal)

---

* [Description](https://snapcraft.io/modem-authenticator-test#tab-description)
* [Security](https://snapcraft.io/modem-authenticator-test#tab-security)

#### FCC unlock service for WWAN/modem modules

Modem Authenticator is a background C++ service that unlocks FCC restrictions
on WWAN/modem modules. It is fully STRICT-confined (no --classic, no manual
AppArmor tweaks) and Snap-Store publishable.

Event-driven design (no polling, no custom AppArmor, idle = zero CPU):

* Layer 3 (startup): the daemon unlocks once on boot / when the MBIM
  device first appears.
* Layer 1 (udev): snapd loads meta/udev/modem-manager.rules; when an MBIM
  device is (re-)enumerated -- USB control node (/dev/cdc-wdm\*) OR PCIe
  control node (/dev/wwan*mbim*, kernel >= 5.14) -- via physical re-plug,
  power cycle, or firmware/link reset that drops the bus link, the kernel
  triggers the `unlock` oneshot service, which performs the FCC unlock and
  exits. (Old-kernel mhi\_bus PCIe nodes are covered by a commented rule.)
* Layer 2 (systemd events): best-effort -- the daemon subscribes to
  systemd JobRemoved (ModemManager restart) and PrepareForSleep (resume)
  to re-unlock after events that do NOT drop the USB link. On the target
  snapd (2.76) there is no `systemd` D-Bus interface, so this layer
  degrades gracefully; startup + udev still cover the realistic triggers.

The unlock itself is sent via mbimcli directly to the device node (covered
by the modem-manager plug). The FCC unlock key is HARDCODED in the binary
(not externalised to a config file), overridable at runtime with -k.

A CLI tool (fccunlocker) is also provided for manual operation.

TEST BUILD (2026-08-13): published to practice the Snap Store workflow.
Dell RW135/RW151 models use placeholder unlock keys in this release and
are not yet supported.

---

## Install Modem Authenticator on your Linux distribution

Choose your Linux distribution to get detailed installation instructions. If yours is not shown, get more details on the [installing snapd documentation](https://snapcraft.io/docs/installing-snapd).

[### Arch Linux](https://snapcraft.io/install/modem-authenticator-test/arch)

[### CentOS](https://snapcraft.io/install/modem-authenticator-test/centos)

[### Debian](https://snapcraft.io/install/modem-authenticator-test/debian)

[### elementary OS](https://snapcraft.io/install/modem-authenticator-test/elementary)

[### Fedora](https://snapcraft.io/install/modem-authenticator-test/fedora)

[### KDE Neon](https://snapcraft.io/install/modem-authenticator-test/kde-neon)

[### Kubuntu](https://snapcraft.io/install/modem-authenticator-test/kubuntu)

[### Manjaro](https://snapcraft.io/install/modem-authenticator-test/manjaro)

[### Pop!\_OS](https://snapcraft.io/install/modem-authenticator-test/pop)

[### openSUSE](https://snapcraft.io/install/modem-authenticator-test/opensuse)

[### Red Hat Enterprise Linux](https://snapcraft.io/install/modem-authenticator-test/rhel)

[### Ubuntu](https://snapcraft.io/install/modem-authenticator-test/ubuntu)