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+# ADR-0001: Source GitHub CLI from immutable release artifacts for MicroVM images
+
+**Status:** Proposed
+**Date:** 2026-08-02
+**Deciders:** QM maintainers
+
+## Context
+
+The AWS MicroVM guest image installs GitHub CLI from GitHub's rolling RPM repository while requesting an exact RPM version. The repository no longer retains every historical version: `gh-2.96.0-1` was removed, causing builds to fail even though the QM release and base image were unchanged. Lambda MicroVM reports this only as a generic container-build failure.
+
+## Decision
+
+Fetch GitHub CLI from a versioned GitHub release artifact for each supported architecture and verify its SHA-256 checksum in the MicroVM Dockerfile. Keep the CLI version and hashes explicit so an image can be rebuilt later from the same inputs.
+
+## Options Considered
+
+### Option A: Keep the exact RPM version from the rolling repository
+
+| Dimension | Assessment |
+| --- | --- |
+| Complexity | Low |
+| Reproducibility | Low |
+| Maintenance | Reactive |
+
+**Pros:** Smallest Dockerfile change.
+
+**Cons:** Historical RPMs can disappear, breaking an unchanged QM release.
+
+### Option B: Install the latest RPM from the rolling repository
+
+| Dimension | Assessment |
+| --- | --- |
+| Complexity | Low |
+| Reproducibility | Low |
+| Maintenance | Low |
+
+**Pros:** Avoids an immediately unavailable version.
+
+**Cons:** The same QM version can produce materially different images over time.
+
+### Option C: Download a versioned release artifact and verify its checksum
+
+| Dimension | Assessment |
+| --- | --- |
+| Complexity | Medium |
+| Reproducibility | High |
+| Maintenance | Deliberate version updates |
+
+**Pros:** Matches the existing pinned base image, AWS CLI, and Litestream inputs; failures are limited to a deliberate version or checksum update.
+
+**Cons:** Requires maintaining one checksum per architecture when GitHub CLI is upgraded.
+
+## Trade-off Analysis
+
+Option C adds a small amount of version-maintenance work, but removes a dependency on retention behavior that QM does not control. That is the better trade for deployment infrastructure intended to be rebuilt from a fixed CLI release.
+
+## Consequences
+
+- AWS MicroVM builds remain rebuildable after RPM repository cleanup.
+- GitHub CLI upgrades become explicit, reviewable changes.
+- The Dockerfile carries architecture-specific release checksums.
+
+## Action Items
+
+1. [ ] Replace the RPM-repository install step with checksum-verified GitHub release artifacts for AMD64 and ARM64.
+2. [ ] Add a build test that exercises the MicroVM Dockerfile dependency layer.