Using the "rhel6" container image with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 ELS repositories

Solution Verified - Updated

Environment

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 and later
  • Red Hat-provided Docker or Podman container engine
  • Red Hat Container Registry rhel6 or rhel6-init container image

Issue

  • As an Extended Lifecycle Support (ELS) customer, how do I consume ELS content in the rhel6 container image?
  • The rhel6 and rhel6-init container images have not been updated with ELS package updates. How do I get these ELS updates?

Resolution

To access/enable the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 ELS repository the following command can be run in a rhel6-based container:

yum-config-manager --enable rhel-6-server-els-rpms

To use the ELS repository while building a custom image on top of the rhel6 image, the above command should be incorporated into your Dockerfile/Containerfile. For example:

FROM registry.access.redhat.com/rhel6
RUN yum-config-manager --enable rhel-6-server-els-rpms
RUN yum update -y && rm -rf /var/cache/yum
RUN yum install -y httpd && rm -rf /var/cache/yum
EXPOSE 80
CMD ["-D", "FOREGROUND"]
ENTRYPOINT ["/usr/sbin/httpd"]

Root Cause

On November 30, 2020, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 transitioned from the Maintenance Phase to the Extended Life Phase. Software maintenance, new bug fixes and security errata will no longer be provided for the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 product family. This includes RHEL6-based container images, such as rhel6/rhel, rhel6, and rhel6-init. The Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 Extended Lifecycle Support add-on subscription provides Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 customers with access to limited software updates, and, if desired, these updates should be applied to all rhel6-based container images in use.

Please see the following FAQ for more information about the Extended Life Phase and the Extended Lifecycle Support add-on subscription:

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