PICs for driver signing in x64 unavailable?

[Ray Trent]

I was just forwarded an email response we received from WinQual when we
inquired about getting a PIC for signing our drivers for the new x64
signing policy. I'm hoping I'm just over reacting, but...

I was disturbed to hear that they are not available at this time. In
fact, there was a strong implication in this email that PICs would not
be available until the last release candidate for Vista.

Here is the relevant portion of this email: "This is not available yet,
but should be in time for Vista launch. The PIC is a new signing program
for files we couldn’t sign before. We’ll be making more announcements
regarding the availability of PIC to sign drivers as we get closer to
the Vista logo program launch, which will be at the last Release Candidate."

Microsoft has done this in the past (i.e. not releasing full WHQL tests,
signing tools, etc. until just before RTM), and it always has caused
problems. So I'm trying to head this off at the pass this time.

I don't know about the rest of you, but we need time to get a PIC,
integrate signing with it into our build process, build a driver, test
it internally, fix any problems that signing caused (and rebuild and
retest) and deliver a candidate driver to the OEMs early enough that
they have time to test it themselves (and get any needed bug fixes)
before their deadline for burning a golden master for manufacturing of
their first x64 machines.

And that's assuming that the Vista Beta community doesn't find any bugs
in the kernel embedded signing code in Windows...

I'm crossposting this to m.p.d.d.d because I think this issue is of
wider interest than just the winlogo newsgroup. And yes, I've already
sent an email to WinQual about this.

 

[Gary G. Little]

Post a feedback report. You may or may not want to referrence the one I have
already posted concerning the reqirement to use Verisign as a CA. Then any
one affected by this has got to vote on it.

 

[Don Burn]

Ray,

Cross post this to NTDEV. Since there was a lot of interest there this
is
relavent. Since the kernel team in some postings indicated that this will
be
required with the next drop (well prior to the last release canidate) this
basically
makes Vista worthless for driver developers.

Personally, I have now modified some of my driver installs to refuse
to
install on Vista, since I cannot afford to change my business model to get a
Verisign certificate.

 

[Ray Trent]

Here's an update (needless to say I'm not overly reassured by this
response).

I got the following from Winqual in response to the email I wrote them
about PICs not being available:

"We are aware of the tight schedule that OEM’s have and do not want to
do anything to jeopardize your ability to get this product out on time.
Unfortunately this is all the information that I have been given at this
time. Our new website is tentatively scheduled to be released in June.
I’m guessing I can’t say for sure, that the PIC program will be
available around this time. I believe this should give you enough time
to run through all your tests and correct any problems that you may have."

Yes, I realize it's impolite to forward people's email to newsgroups
without asking... I'm just a rude kind of guy, I guess...