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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsUse Ubuntu as the development host, install Ansible, Molecule, and a supported scenario driver such as Podman, then run Molecule from the role directory. Initialize a scenario under molecule/default, configure its inventory and lifecycle, apply the role in converge.yml, assert the resulting state in verify.yml, and run molecule test. Molecule creates the target, converges the role, checks idempotence, verifies the result, and destroys the test resources.
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Ubuntu describes where the test tooling runs; it does not require the target to be Ubuntu. The target can be a disposable container, virtual machine, cloud instance, API, database, network device, or another system reachable by Ansible.
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What Molecule tests
Molecule is an Ansible testing framework for developing and testing collections, playbooks, and roles. A Molecule scenario defines the target, the connection or driver, the playbooks that create and remove test resources, the playbook that applies the role, and the checks that decide whether the result is correct.
A normal role test answers several different questions:
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- Can the required driver and dependencies create a usable target?
- Does the role converge successfully on that target?
- Can the role run a second time without reporting unintended changes?
- Does the target have the files, packages, services, users, permissions, or other state the role promises?
- Are all temporary resources removed when the scenario ends?
The complete lifecycle documented by the Ansible role guide is dependency, destroy, create, converge, idempotence, verify, and a final destroy. You can run the full sequence or use individual phases while developing.
Ubuntu host prerequisites
The official role tutorial lists Ansible, Molecule, and Podman as prerequisites for its container-based example. Install them using the method that matches your Ubuntu release, Python policy, Ansible support window, and project constraints. The official pages do not prescribe one universal apt, pip, or pipx transcript, and they do not publish a version pin that is correct for every project.
Before creating a scenario, confirm that the executables and the selected driver are available in the same environment in which you will run Molecule:
command -v ansible
ansible --version
command -v molecule
molecule --version
command -v podman
podman --versionIf your project uses a virtual environment, activate it before these checks. If it uses a requirements file or a lock file, follow that file rather than mixing globally installed packages with project-managed dependencies. A successful version check proves that the command is on your path; it does not prove that the chosen Molecule driver, Ansible version, and role dependencies are mutually compatible.
Work from the role repository
Run Molecule commands from the directory that contains the role. A small role repository can look like this:
my_role/
├── tasks/
│ └── main.yml
└── molecule/
└── default/
├── molecule.yml
├── requirements.yml
├── inventory/
│ └── hosts.yml
├── create.yml
├── converge.yml
├── verify.yml
└── destroy.ymlThe role’s implementation remains in directories such as tasks/. The molecule/ directory contains one or more independent test scenarios. default is simply the conventional first scenario name; it is not a special target operating system.
Keeping the scenario inside the role repository makes the role path predictable and lets Molecule resolve the role under test without copying task files into a separate test project. If you invoke Molecule from another directory, role discovery and relative paths can differ, so change into the role root first.
Initialize the default scenario
-
Change to the role directory:
cd my_role -
Create the conventional scenario:
molecule init scenario default -
Inspect the generated files before editing them. Keep the files that your selected driver needs, and remove or replace generated examples that do not match your environment.
Initialization creates the scenario directory and its lifecycle files. It does not select a universally correct Ubuntu image, install a driver, or prove that the role works. Those choices belong in the scenario configuration and in the project’s dependency policy.
Configure the scenario files
requirements.yml: driver and other collections
Declare collections required by the scenario in molecule/default/requirements.yml. The official container example uses the containers.podman collection:
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collections:
- name: containers.podmanUse the collection name and version constraints required by your project rather than assuming that the newest release is compatible. Run the scenario’s dependency phase after changing this file so Molecule can resolve the declared collection.
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molecule.yml: driver, inventory, and sequence
molecule.yml is the scenario’s control file. It connects the Ansible provisioner to the selected driver, identifies the inventory, and defines the action sequence. A scenario that uses Podman must have a Podman-compatible driver and platform definition; a virtual-machine, cloud, API, or network scenario needs a different driver and connection configuration.
The lifecycle sequence can be made explicit so that a reviewer can see what a full test performs:
scenario:
test_sequence:
- dependency
- destroy
- create
- converge
- idempotence
- verify
- destroyRetain the inventory and provisioner settings generated for your driver, and make sure the role path is discoverable from the repository root. Do not copy a platform image tag from an unrelated project: supported Ubuntu images, connection plugins, privilege settings, and driver options vary by project and by release.
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The converge and verify plays in this guide target a group named molecule. Your inventory must therefore expose the test instance in that group, whether the driver generates the hosts dynamically or you maintain an inventory file:
all:
children:
molecule:
hosts:
instance:The host name and connection variables are driver-specific. A container driver may provide them through its generated inventory, while a virtual-machine or cloud driver may need an address, user, authentication method, and privilege settings. The important invariant is that the host reached by the driver appears in the same molecule group referenced by your plays.
create.yml and destroy.yml
The create playbook provisions the instance or other target. The destroy playbook removes it. For a container scenario, the driver usually supplies the implementation; for an external target, these files may call an API, a cloud module, or project-specific automation. A reliable destroy phase matters because stale containers, virtual machines, or cloud resources can make later runs appear to pass for the wrong reason and can leave unexpected costs.
Apply the role in converge.yml
Convergence is the phase that runs the role against the freshly created target. The official pattern uses ansible.builtin.include_role and targets the scenario’s molecule group:
---
- name: Converge
hosts: molecule
gather_facts: false
tasks:
- name: Apply the role under test
ansible.builtin.include_role:
name: my_roleReplace my_role with the role name as Ansible resolves it in your repository and configuration. Add role variables, tags, become settings, or prerequisite tasks only when the role requires them; otherwise the test can hide missing dependencies by recreating production setup inside the test itself.
gather_facts: false keeps the example minimal. Turn fact gathering on when the role uses facts such as the operating-system family, architecture, network interfaces, or service manager. If you disable facts while the role expects them, convergence can fail for a test-environment reason rather than a role defect.
Assert the result in verify.yml
Verification should inspect the target after convergence and fail with a useful message when the promised state is absent. A file-producing role can use the documented stat and assert pattern:
---
- name: Verify
hosts: molecule
gather_facts: false
tasks:
- name: Read the role marker file
ansible.builtin.stat:
path: /tmp/molecule_role_marker
register: marker
- name: Confirm the role created the marker file
ansible.builtin.assert:
that:
- marker.stat.exists
- marker.stat.isregAdapt the assertion to the role’s contract. Examples include checking that a package is installed, a service is enabled and running, a configuration file contains a required setting, a user has the intended shell, a directory has the expected mode, or an endpoint answers correctly. Query the resulting state instead of asserting that a task was merely executed; a task can report success while leaving the wrong content or permissions.
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Keep assertions deterministic. Avoid checks that depend on wall-clock time, an external service that is not part of the scenario, or host-specific values that differ between Ubuntu releases unless those differences are the subject of the test. Include enough context in assertion messages to identify the failed contract quickly.
Run the lifecycle
Full end-to-end test
Run the complete scenario with:
molecule testThis command resolves dependencies, removes stale resources, creates the target, converges the role, runs the idempotence check, executes verification, and performs final destruction according to the configured sequence. It is the command to use before merging a role change or running the scenario in continuous integration.
Fast development loop
During editing, avoid recreating everything for every small change:
molecule converge
molecule verifymolecule converge applies the role to an existing instance or creates what the configured command requires. molecule verify runs the assertions against an instance that already exists. This loop gives faster feedback, but it does not replace the clean molecule test run: an existing instance can retain state from an earlier version of the role.
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Inspect a target interactively
For a failing or surprising test, create the instance without immediately converging it:
molecule create
molecule list
molecule loginmolecule list shows the scenario’s managed instances. molecule login opens an interactive session when the driver supports it, allowing you to inspect files, packages, services, users, permissions, logs, and environment variables directly. Remove the instance when finished:
molecule destroyKeep a failed instance for diagnosis
By default, the final destroy phase can remove the evidence you need. Keep the target after a failed run with:
molecule test --destroy=neverThen inspect it with molecule list and molecule login. After collecting evidence, run molecule destroy manually so the next test starts clean.
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Understand idempotence
The idempotence phase checks whether a second application of the role reports unintended changes. A role can pass its first convergence and still fail this check if it rewrites a file every time, recreates a resource unnecessarily, changes permissions on each run, or uses a command without a correct changed-state guard.
When idempotence fails, inspect the task output from the second run. Look for tasks marked changed on every execution, unstable templates, shell or command tasks without an appropriate condition, handlers that are triggered repeatedly, and facts or defaults that differ between runs. Fix the role’s state management rather than weakening the idempotence phase; repeatable convergence is one of the principal reasons to test with Molecule.
Debug failures systematically
Increase diagnostic output when the normal log does not identify the cause:
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molecule test --debug
molecule converge --debug
molecule verify --debugYou can also increase Ansible verbosity using the options supported by your Molecule and Ansible versions. Apply the smallest useful phase first so the log remains readable.
The command is unavailable
If molecule, ansible, or the driver executable is missing, return to the project-supported installation method and active Python environment. Check command -v and the reported versions again. Do not assume that installing a second copy globally will fix a virtual-environment path problem.
Dependency resolution fails
Check the spelling and compatibility of collection names in requirements.yml, then run the dependency phase with debug output. A collection can be installed successfully yet still be incompatible with the selected Ansible or Molecule release, so use the versions required by the project rather than an unbounded upgrade.
The play has no hosts
A message that no hosts matched usually means the inventory group and the play’s hosts: value disagree. Confirm that the driver generated or loaded an inventory containing the molecule group and that the host is present in it. Also verify that you ran the command from the role directory containing the intended scenario.
Convergence passes but verification fails
Run molecule verify --debug and inspect the target with molecule login. Compare the actual file content, mode, ownership, package version, service state, or other contract with the assertion. If the role intentionally behaves differently on a particular Ubuntu release or target image, make that platform difference explicit in the scenario instead of loosening the assertion for every platform.
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Confirm that the driver is installed, that its collection is listed in requirements.yml, and that the host system can create and reach the selected target. For a local container, check the container engine and permissions. For a remote or cloud target, check credentials, network access, SSH or API settings, and cleanup permissions. Preserve the instance with --destroy=never when the failure occurs after creation.
Old resources change the result
Run molecule destroy, then repeat the test. A stale instance can contain files, packages, or configuration from a previous role version and make a broken role appear correct. A full molecule test run deliberately destroys before creation to reduce this risk.
Test more than one Ubuntu or target configuration
Create additional scenario directories when the role must support different inputs, operating-system releases, connection methods, or deployment environments. Each scenario is self-contained and can have its own driver, inventory, variables, lifecycle sequence, and verification rules.
A practical matrix changes one meaningful axis at a time, such as the target image or connection driver. Do not assume that a particular Ubuntu image tag or combination is universally supported; choose image tags and supported combinations according to the role’s documented policy and verify them in the project.
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Without shared state, each scenario creates and destroys its own resources. With shared_state: true, the default scenario owns resource creation and destruction, while component scenarios perform their converge, idempotence, and verify phases against the shared instance. Shared state can reduce setup time, but it introduces ordering and contamination risks: component scenarios must not rely on changes made by another component unless that dependency is intentional and documented.
Choose the right execution approach
| Decision axis | Disposable local target | Virtual machine or cloud target | API, database, or network target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isolation | Fast, repeatable isolation on the Ubuntu host when the driver supports it. | Closer to a full operating system, with greater setup and cleanup responsibility. | Tests the real service boundary but depends on reachable external infrastructure. |
| Cost | Usually limited to local compute and storage; the exact cost depends on the host. | May consume provider resources or licensed capacity; the scenario must clean them up. | Can incur service, API, or laboratory-environment charges; no universal amount is established. |
| Feedback speed | Usually best for a rapid converge/verify loop. |
Slower creation and connection, especially when images or networks are provisioned. | Varies with endpoint availability, authentication, and network latency. |
| State ownership | The scenario driver normally creates and destroys the instance. | Define exactly which playbook or external system owns creation and destruction. | Make cleanup and data-reset behavior explicit before running destructive tests. |
| Best assertion scope | Files, packages, services, users, permissions, and local configuration. | Operating-system behavior, boot-time configuration, networking, and system integration. | Connectivity, API responses, database state, device configuration, and protocol behavior. |
Use the smallest target that exercises the role’s real contract. A container is convenient for a role that manages users or files, while a role that depends on boot behavior, kernel features, or a full init system may require a virtual machine or another target type.
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Keep tests maintainable in a team or CI system
- Commit the scenario files, inventory, verification logic, and collection requirements with the role.
- Document the supported Ansible, Molecule, driver, and Ubuntu combinations used by the project; there is no universal version window that applies to every role.
- Run the fast converge and verify loop while editing, then run a clean
molecule testbefore merging. - Ensure CI has the selected driver and permission to create and destroy its targets.
- Keep assertions focused on the role’s public behavior so implementation refactoring does not require rewriting every test.
- Use separate scenarios for materially different platforms or inputs rather than embedding many conditional branches in one opaque test.
- Review cleanup behavior after failures, especially for cloud and external targets.
A complete first run
-
Prepare the Ubuntu host and verify Ansible, Molecule, and the selected driver with their version commands.
-
Change into the role root and run
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Declare the driver collection in
molecule/default/requirements.ymlwhen required. -
Review
molecule.yml, its inventory settings, platform definition, and test sequence. -
Confirm that
inventory/hosts.ymlor the generated inventory exposes the target in themoleculegroup. -
Put the role invocation in
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Put state-based checks in
verify.ymlusing modules such asansible.builtin.statandansible.builtin.assert. -
Run
molecule test. If it fails, rerun the smallest failing phase with--debug, or use--destroy=neverandmolecule loginto inspect the target. -
After diagnosis, run
molecule destroyand repeat the clean lifecycle.
This workflow separates provisioning problems, role convergence problems, idempotence defects, and verification mistakes. That separation is what makes a Molecule scenario useful rather than merely another way to run an Ansible playbook.
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