The AI stack requires additional RPMs with build time and runtime dependencies. For example vLLM depends on pyzmq, but RHEL 9 does not have a zeromq package.

So far we have been using a RHELAI layered product to provide additional RPMs. The delivery and life cycle of the RPMs are bound to RHELAI life cycle and RHEL y-stream release of RHELAI. For base images we are going to need a different approach that decouples the RPMs from RHELAI.

RHEL 10 introduced the concept of extension repositories, https://www.redhat.com/en/blog/unleashing-innovation-rhel-extensions-repository . Perhaps this approach or a similar approach could work for us?