[Bob Ward (rgward)]

Summary

Prepare repeatable Private Preview - testing only Studio tester kits for the Ubuntu x64 and Windows ARM64 request in #41. No support-stage promotion, public release, tag, infrastructure, or live SQL credentials.

• Reuse existing native sqlsim/Studio build scripts and canonical Studio smoke/full suites, with examples/manuals and provenance.
• Build Ubuntu 24.04 x64 and native Windows 11 ARM64 packages, then validate the same Linux archive unchanged on Ubuntu 26.04.
• Check native binary headers, native pinned Python driver imports, package extraction/layout, seven offline checks, refusal gates, and failed-prerequisite JSON reports.
• Default to offline; live/full testing needs explicit consent, target, credential files, and load consent. Keep secrets off process arguments and preserve per-check logs/results.
• Publish final Actions artifacts only after all platform gates pass; keep public release packaging unchanged.
• Document first-run examples, optional live suites, preview-request assistance, and the remaining live SQL/browser/installation/signing gates.

Validation

• PowerShell AST parsing, workflow YAML parsing, PE reader availability, and git diff --check passed locally.
• All 17 PR checks, including CLA, CodeQL, existing Windows/Linux/macOS regressions, native Windows ARM64, Ubuntu 24.04, and unchanged-archive Ubuntu 26.04 validation passed. Native run: https://github.com/microsoft/sqlsimtools/actions/runs/39507143957. Independently downloaded all three JSON/log reports: seven checks passed per target; Studio 75 passed, 0 failed, 4 live-only skips on each.
• Live SQL smoke/full, actual user browsers, and clean-machine installation remain unverified on these preview platforms. No production-support claim.

Delivery

After merge, build from main and post one tailored invitation on #41 with both validated kits. Keep the request open for feedback. Related request: #41; keep the request open for tester feedback.

[Bob Ward (rgward)]

Reviewed the complete kit/workflow change: existing per-tool builders and canonical Studio suites are reused, no source tests are disabled, no public-release staging or platform-support promotion is changed, native executable headers and Python architecture are checked, and offline/live/load/credential boundaries are explicit. Native Windows ARM64 and Ubuntu 24.04 extracted-kit checks passed, and the identical Linux archive passed on Ubuntu 26.04 in run 39507143957. No blocking diff findings. This establishes offline package behavior, not live SQL/authentication, user browsers, clean installations, or production support; those gaps remain documented. Merge only after CLA and every PR check are green.

[Bob Ward (rgward)]

Post-merge delivery complete.

• Merged-main commit: 767dba350d19a836343e0e82620a30778b6b4ec7.
• Main workflow 39508252186 passed native Ubuntu 24.04 x64 and Windows 11 ARM64 extracted-kit checks, plus the unchanged Linux archive on Ubuntu 26.04.
• Independently downloaded and parsed all three main JSON reports: seven passing checks each; matching main commit and Private Preview receipts; zero check failures/timeouts. Studio on each: 75 passed, 0 failed, 4 live-only skips. The final aggregation job verified both archive SHA256 checksums.
• Validated main tester download, expiring January 18, 2027.
• One tailored invitation posted and read-back verified on #41, including native setup, offline-first checks, optional consent-gated live tests, sanitized feedback, and Private Preview/testing-only scope.
• Removed an unintended auto-closing reference from this PR description and restored .\sqlsim\x64\sqlsim.exe --version .\sqlsim\x64\sqlsim.exe -h #41 to Open for ongoing tester feedback.

No public release or tag was created. Live SQL, actual-browser and clean-machine validation remain outstanding; platform status is unchanged.