I usually use the CentOS 4 metadata to create my templates. I have a client requesting Fedora 9, which is available only in user contributed precreated format. Are the user contributed ones safe to use and how do I update them, since there's no metadata.
I have used the contrib OS Templates on a number of occasions and haven't had any problems with them. You can verify the packages with rpm -Va if you like. One way to create your own Fedora 9 OS Template would be to start with an earlier version of Fedora and upgrade. Oddly, it appears that the most recent i686 Fedora OS Template in "official" is for FC6 but in contrib you will find Fedora Core 7, Fedora 8, and Fedora 9. I have created my own Fedora OS Templates by taking 7 and upgrading to 8. And then when 9 came out, taking it and upgrading it to 9. While Fedora doesn't have a very good track record with updates... given the very minimal nature of an OS Template... Fedora updates have worked out quite well. I haven't had any problems going from 7, to 8, and to 9. Create your own if you like. Be warned however that most (if not all) of the pre-created OS Templates do not come with yum installed so you have to use rpm to install all of the needed packages for yum. If you aren't comfortable with rpm and where to find the packages you need, it can be quite painful. There is a wiki article on how to install yum... but I don't recall if it was geared toward CentOS or Fedora. In any event, the instructions should be fairly complete but may need some tweeking. All of the OS Templates I create have yum in them. Feel free to email me (dowdle@montanalinux.org) if you want to download any of my OS Templates and I'll email you a URL. I think over the coming weeks and months that the OpenVZ project will try to focus more on the pre-created OS Templates... and get them updated... and have them include yum... at least that is what I would like to see happen. I haven't contributed many templates because it seems someone always beats me to it... and I'm not sure we want multiple OS Templates for the same distro. I have also created a number of OS Templates that include GUI environments for those who want to use VNC (or similiar methods) for running a GUI desktop from a container. I believe Kir was working on setting up an automated build system for the OS Templates but I'm not sure how far that project has gotten.