Image mode for Red Hat Enterprise Linux

Image mode for Red Hat Enterprise Linux is a new deployment method that takes a container-native approach to deliver the OS as a bootc container image. It builds on the success of open source projects such as bootc, which manages the installation and updating of hosts in any part of the hybrid cloud, to create a deployment model that fits seamlessly into container-native workflows. This approach addresses challenges in managing Linux at scale, from pushing patches to disparate locations to disconnects between operations teams and the application development cycle.
Learn more: developers.redhat.com/product...

[@pavelanni]

What was running on the host "collins" before we rebooted it with the RHEL 9.4 bootable container? It looks like CoreOS. What else can I use as an initial OS?

[@RedHatEnterpriseLinux]

The 'collins' host shown is running RHEL in image mode, and the command line used in the demo changes the tracked image to the new image that was pushed to the registry. It's more like an upgrade to a different version than an install. To read more on the different types of updates, you may want to review this part of the docs:
docs.redhat.com/en/documentation/red_hat_enterprise_linux/9/html/using_image[…]ge-mode-for-rhel-to-build-deploy-and-manage-operating-systems
Initial installation doesn't require an existing OS, the bootc images can be directly installed with a kickstart or be converted to an appropriate disk image for the target environment like a QCOW2 or AMI. To see what tools are used and what targets are supported you may want to review this part of the docs:
docs.redhat.com/en/documentation/red_hat_enterprise_linux/9/html/using_image[…]ge-mode-for-rhel-to-build-deploy-and-manage-operating-systems