Confirmed users
1,982
edits
Windows 8 Integration: Difference between revisions
→3rd Party Browser Requirements
| (23 intermediate revisions by 4 users not shown) | |||
| Line 15: | Line 15: | ||
** Instructions on creating a bootable USB key [http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/windowsdeveloperpreviewgeneral/thread/661d46c3-f6b9-41a4-a696-9d8c225208b6 HERE] | ** Instructions on creating a bootable USB key [http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/windowsdeveloperpreviewgeneral/thread/661d46c3-f6b9-41a4-a696-9d8c225208b6 HERE] | ||
== Windows Store == | == Windows Store and Certification == | ||
* [http://blogs.msdn.com/b/windowsstore/archive/2011/12/06/announcing-the-new-windows-store.aspx Store announcements and documentation] | |||
* Big question: would there be licensing and certification issues similar to iOS? | ** [http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/hh694083.aspx Store Policy for Apps] | ||
** [http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-us/windowsstore/threads Store Discussion Forum] | |||
** [http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ie/archive/2011/10/20/connect-your-web-site-to-your-windows-8-app.aspx Advertising apps from within IE10 Metro] | |||
* <b>Big question</b>: would there be licensing and certification issues similar to iOS? | |||
** <i>"Store policy and various runtime restrictions automatically exclude certain types of apps, which can only be implemented as desktop apps."</i> ([http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/hh464912%28v=vs.85%29.aspx link]) | ** <i>"Store policy and various runtime restrictions automatically exclude certain types of apps, which can only be implemented as desktop apps."</i> ([http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/hh464912%28v=vs.85%29.aspx link]) | ||
* Automatic updating - working within the confines of Microsoft's update mechanism | * Automatic updating - working within the confines of Microsoft's update mechanism | ||
| Line 68: | Line 71: | ||
* Subset of Direct2D, Direct3D, DirectWrite drawing apis supported. [http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/br205756%28v=VS.85%29.aspx Link] | * Subset of Direct2D, Direct3D, DirectWrite drawing apis supported. [http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/br205756%28v=VS.85%29.aspx Link] | ||
** It looks like D3D is v11 only based on the naming of the APIs in the above-linked document and the the MSFT employee's response [http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/wingameswithdirectx/thread/d16bd98b-1872-4775-aafd-2de8ff6a970a here], and the 4:40ish mark of [http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/BUILD/BUILD2011/PLAT-766T this video]. | |||
==== Networking ==== | ==== Networking ==== | ||
| Line 77: | Line 81: | ||
* Most of this info comes from this [http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/BUILD/BUILD2011/APP-409T video on Metro app suspension] | * Most of this info comes from this [http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/BUILD/BUILD2011/APP-409T video on Metro app suspension] | ||
* More available here: [http://blogs.msdn.com/b/b8/archive/2012/02/07/improving-power-efficiency-for-applications.aspx Improving power efficiency for applications] | |||
* There is no multi-tasking of Metro apps: Only one app runs unsuspended at a time, apps are suspended when not in foreground | * There is no multi-tasking of Metro apps: Only one app runs unsuspended at a time, apps are suspended when not in foreground | ||
* Desktop is treated as one app; all other Metro apps are suspended when desktop is active | * Desktop is treated as one app; all other Metro apps are suspended when desktop is active | ||
| Line 137: | Line 142: | ||
=== Contracts === | === Contracts === | ||
[http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/hh464906.aspx MSDN Contracts] | |||
* There is a new concept called contracts for interconnection/sharing with different metro apps. | * There is a new concept called contracts for interconnection/sharing with different metro apps. | ||
* Implementing contracts provides more integration with the OS (e.g. with the "charms" toolbar) | * Implementing contracts provides more integration with the OS (e.g. with the "charms" toolbar) | ||
| Line 180: | Line 185: | ||
As it can be seen in the integrity column, all metro apps except IE10 (and its child) run in the AppContainer integrity level which is new to Windows 8. Very little is known about it except that it is engraved in the process token itself. As a medium integrity process, IE10 can do anything it pleases and it does not require the broker to do file access. For example, If the broker <2784> is terminated, one can still use IE10 without a problem. However, When Copper, running at AppContainer integrity, tries to save the process in the current level it crashes. Upon restarting Copper, the broker was automatically launched again. | As it can be seen in the integrity column, all metro apps except IE10 (and its child) run in the AppContainer integrity level which is new to Windows 8. Very little is known about it except that it is engraved in the process token itself. As a medium integrity process, IE10 can do anything it pleases and it does not require the broker to do file access. For example, If the broker <2784> is terminated, one can still use IE10 without a problem. However, When Copper, running at AppContainer integrity, tries to save the process in the current level it crashes. Upon restarting Copper, the broker was automatically launched again. | ||
In Windows Vista and Windows 7, all applications run are by default run with medium integrity. An application that is elevated from a UAC prompt is run at high integrity. | |||
Another difference is that named kernel objects of an AppContainer process are in a different namespace. For example, in this case the regular 'interactive user' session is session 3 so a regular named object 'Foo' from a traditional desktop application will be "\Sessions\3\BaseNamedObjects\Foo" which is what we see for IE10, while for metro apps it would be: | Another difference is that named kernel objects of an AppContainer process are in a different namespace. For example, in this case the regular 'interactive user' session is session 3 so a regular named object 'Foo' from a traditional desktop application will be "\Sessions\3\BaseNamedObjects\Foo" which is what we see for IE10, while for metro apps it would be: | ||
| Line 191: | Line 198: | ||
== 3rd Party Browser Requirements == | == 3rd Party Browser Requirements == | ||
In general, browser vendors would prefer access to the system similar to that of Internet Explorer 10. From all outward appearances IE is currently able to bypass security restrictions of the Metro sandbox, effectively running as a standard Windows desktop application with additional extensions which allow it to latch into the Metro interface. | -- | ||
These issues for x86 systems have been mitigated by the new <strong>Metro enabled desktop browser model</strong> released by Microsoft. [http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/hh465413.aspx spec link] | |||
-- | |||
In general, browser vendors would prefer access to the system similar to that of Internet Explorer 10. From all outward appearances IE is currently able to bypass security restrictions of the Metro sandbox by running as a medium integrity process, effectively running as a standard Windows desktop application with additional extensions which allow it to latch into the Metro interface. | |||
Vendors feel changes should be made to the current restrictions which will facilitate the ability of 3rd parties to compete with Microsoft's products in this new environment. The following section describes some of the areas or changes various 3rd party browser vendors need in order to provide a compelling browser experience within the Metro interface. | |||
=== Memory allocation and sharing === | |||
(VirtualAlloc / HeapAlloc and friends) | |||
<b>Memory execution</b> - Virtual* / Heap* apis are necessary for allocating executable memory (JIT). We have been successful in allocating memory using CreateFileMapping/MapViewOfFileEx, but based on comments by ms employees [1,2] it appears applications that attempt to do this will not pass Windows Store certification. | |||
<b>Shared memory</b> - While it appears DuplicateHandle is available and passes validation, without an approved method of allocating shared memory, process creation and pipes for communication memory can not be shared between processes. | |||
=== Pipes === | |||
(CreateNamedPipe, ConnectNamedPipe, DisconnectNamedPipe) | |||
<b>IPC</b> - None of the current pipe apis passes validation. According to ms employee comments no IPC type mechanisms are currently accepted [3]. | |||
=== | === Processes === | ||
* | CreateProcess* api calls do not pass validation. | ||
=== | === Links === | ||
* | * [1] [http://stackoverflow.com/questions/7473202/dynamic-code-execution-on-winrt-in-windows-8-either-c-or-net-c Larry Osterman and Steve Rowe comments on dynamic code execution via StackOverflow] | ||
* | * [2] [http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/winappswithnativecode/thread/aad27744-f09f-44b3-a73d-cbcee93f4805 Osterman's short answer on VirtualAlloc] | ||
* | * [3] [http://blogs.msdn.com/b/larryosterman/archive/2011/09/16/what-has-larry-been-doing-for-two-years-and-why-has-the-blog-been-dark-for-so-long.aspx Osterman's comments on IPC] | ||
* | * [http://stackoverflow.com/questions/7465517/how-can-a-metro-app-in-windows-8-communicate-with-a-backend-desktop-app-on-the-s comments by Pavel Minaev on pipes, sockets, and shared memory via StackOverflow] | ||
=== Questions === | === Questions === | ||
| Line 247: | Line 270: | ||
* [http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/hh448474(v=VS.85).aspx Capability SIDs] | * [http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/hh448474(v=VS.85).aspx Capability SIDs] | ||
* [http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/hh448449(v=VS.85).aspx App Container SIDs] | * [http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/hh448449(v=VS.85).aspx App Container SIDs] | ||