EX294 Practice Question: Create content collections and execution environments
You are building an execution environment using ansible-builder with a definition that includes a base image and a list of collections. During the build, you need to run a custom shell command to install an additional system package that is not available via the standard package manager configuration. Which section of the execution-environment.yml file should you use to add this custom build step?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that the dependencies section can handle arbitrary system package installation, when in fact it only supports package lists from repositories and cannot run custom commands.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
additional_build_steps
The additional_build_steps section is designed to inject custom commands into the execution environment build process. It supports stages like prepend_base, append_base, prepend_galaxy, etc., allowing you to run shell commands before or after key build phases. This is the correct way to install system packages or perform other customizations that are not handled by the standard dependencies section.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
options
Why it's wrong here
The options section contains settings that control how ansible-builder runs, such as the container runtime or build context directory. It does not provide a mechanism to inject custom build steps. Custom commands must be placed in additional_build_steps, which is specifically designed for that purpose.
- ✗
dependencies
Why it's wrong here
The dependencies section is used to specify collections, roles, and Python packages that need to be installed. It does not support arbitrary shell commands. While you can list system packages under dependencies with the system option, that only works if the packages are available in the configured repositories. For custom commands or packages not in repositories, you need additional_build_steps.
- ✓
additional_build_steps
Why this is correct
The additional_build_steps section in execution-environment.yml allows you to insert custom commands at various stages of the build process, such as before or after specific steps. You can define commands to run before assembling the final image, enabling installation of system packages or other customizations that are not covered by the standard dependencies.
- ✗
build_arg_defaults
Why it's wrong here
build_arg_defaults is used to set default values for build arguments that can be passed to the container build process. It does not execute commands. It is useful for specifying things like the base image or package manager, but it cannot run custom shell commands during the build.
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Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Red Hat exam blueprint
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