Files can be installed to allow the following ArcGIS 9.2 SP 5 or later release service pack clients to connect to an ArcSDE 9.3 geodatabase:
Note: Direct connections from 9.2 SP 5 or later clients to the following ArcSDE geodatabases are not supported:
Click Next to move on from the Welcome dialog box.
Read and accept the license agreement. If you do not accept the license agreement, the installation will terminate. Click Next.
The setup will search the computer for all possible client and ArcSDE component installations to determine where to install the files. Once it determines which applications are present, it returns a list of possible direct connect driver installations. In the following screen shot, the client machine has an ArcGIS installation, ArcSDE for Oracle, and the ArcSDE Java API software developers kit (SDK).

Choose the client or clients from which you want to be able to directly connect to an ArcSDE 9.3 geodatabase. If you want to install the files for all the clients on that machine, leave all of them selected, as shown in the previous graphic.
To install the files for only certain clients, click the clients for which you do not want to install the direct connect files and choose the Entire feature will be unavailable. In this example, only the files for the ArcSDE Java API client will be installed.

Note: If you have ArcSDE for SQL Server installed, choosing SQL Server on the Select Features dialog box only applies to ArcSDE for SQL Server licensed through ArcGIS Server Enterprise and does not apply to ArcSDE for SQL Server Express. That is because the files for ArcSDE for SQL Server Express are included in your client installations. Direct connect drivers for that get installed when you choose to install the drivers for your client installation.
After downloading the setup, change to the directory where you saved the setup.
Run the setup script on the client machine. Be sure to run this as a user who has write permissions to the client installation directories.
./setup
Choose the client or clients from which you want to be able to directly connect to an ArcSDE 9.3 geodatabase.
The list of direct connection files available can include the following: