Re: Will 11g database install and run on 32 bit vista home premium?

On Jan 11, 3:57 pm, joel garry <joel-ga..._at_home.com> wrote:
> I don't know anything about it, but yesterday while I was waiting for
> lots of hardware to reboot I picked up some Windows magazine and
> started reading about Vista internals (Technet magazine April 2007, I
> think it is all online).  One thing it mentioned was the certificate
> signing of applications - if a software publisher makes software for
> Vista, it has to go through a central authority and pay for
> certificates.  No certificatee, no runee.  But there is some testing
> thingie for software developers you can set.  Whether that applies to
> Home Premium, I have no idea.  hp-ux came back before I was done with
> the article, so that was that.  The article referred to some online
> knowledgebase articles that explain in more detail.
>
> jg
> --
> @home.com is bogus.

I am wondering if there is a problem with the confusing (multiple meaning) terminology used by Microsoft or by the magazine. Lately, I have been reading through the "Windows Vista Resource Kit" documentation, a nice concise 1500 page book that serves as the official documentation for how Vista works. Granted I have only made it about 1200 pages into the book, but I do not recall reading about Vista requiring the average software publisher to obtain certification to install on Vista. There is, however, a push to certify drivers that run in Kernel mode... ring 0, especially on the 64 bit platform. There is an interesting paragraph or two on page 25 of the Resource Kit book:
"Any code that runs in Kernel Mode, including most drivers, can potentially corrupt kernel data in ways that surface later... Windows Vista prevents poorly written drivers from corrupting the registry and protects system settings from corruption or inadvertent changes that can cause the system to be unreliable or fail completely. Windows Resource Protection (WRP) protects critical system settings, files, and folders from changes by any source except a trusted installer." This feature also makes it challenging to intentially remove protected features, such as Solitaire...

From page 30 of the Resource Kit:
"Applications and most services run in User Mode. User Mode applications can interact with hardware and other applications, but only indirectly... The separation between User Mode and Kernel Mode is implemented at the hardware level, within the processor. Kernel Mode processes use Ring 0, while User Mode processes use Ring 3."

A Google search: vista software certificate site:microsoft.com

Finds a couple interesting documents:
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa906341.aspx "To comply with the kernel-mode code signing policy for 64-bit versions of Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista, you must use a Software Publisher Certificate (SPC) to sign a kernel-mode driver package. For non-boot drivers, you only need to sign the driver package catalog file. For a boot driver, you must embed an SPC signature in a kernel-mode driver file and, optionally, also sign the driver package catalog file.
To comply with the PnP device installation signing requirements for 32- bit versions of Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista, you can use either an SPC or a commercial release certificate to sign a kernelmode  driver package catalog file."

http://download.microsoft.com/download/8/e/4/8e4c929d-679a-4238-8c21-2dcc8ed1f35c/Windows%20Vista%20Software%20Logo%20Spec%201.1.doc From page 4:
"The goal of the Vista Logo Program is to increase the quality of applications across the Windows ecosystem. The requirements in this document outline criteria that help make an application more compatible, reliable, and secure when running on the Windows Vista operating system. Applications that meet all of these requirements can carry the Windows Vista Logo artwork. This artwork is not yet available. The Windows Vista Logo Program is one of certification. Applications must be independently tested by a Microsoft approved testing vendor before they are granted logo certification."

From the above, it would seem that if Oracle (or any other company) wants to display the certified for Windows Vista (and likely Windows 2008 Server) logo on the Oracle product, then it might need to apply for testing by a Microsoft approved vendor. 32 bit kernel mode drivers should be signed, and 64 bit kernel mode drivers must be signed.

---

Hpuxrac, will the computer have a statically assigned IP address -
that seems to be sufficient to allow Oracle 10.2.0.2 to install on
Windows XP Home.

Charles Hooper
IT Manager/Oracle DBA
K&M Machine-Fabricating, Inc.