As I had installed the latest Android 9-Pie 9/2022 update, I did not need to install the VENDOR*.zip offered in /e/OS documentation. Even though the /e/OS-R V1.6 ROM e-1.6-rc.4-r-20221124237680-stable-dreamlte is currently still called a Release Candidate (RC), it’s clear that the official version isn’t far away.
I take my hat off to /e/Team and congratulate them on their achievement so far, which is extra class 