diff --git a/.gitea/workflows/linode.yml b/.gitea/workflows/linode.yml
index fe0fb6b..49120d5 100644
--- a/.gitea/workflows/linode.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/linode.yml
@@ -20,10 +20,10 @@ jobs:
       - name: tofu output capture
         run: |
           export TARGET_IP_ADDRESS=$(tofu output -raw act_worker_ip_address)
-          echo $TARGET_IP_ADDRESS
-          sleep 300
+          cd ${{ gitea.workspace}}/podman-host/extensions
+          molecule test
         working-directory: "${{ gitea.workspace }}/.gitea/tofu"
       - name: tofu destroy
-        run: "tofu destroy -auto-approve"
+        run: "sleep 180 && tofu destroy -auto-approve"
         working-directory: "${{ gitea.workspace }}/.gitea/tofu"
 
diff --git a/extensions/molecule/linode/create.yml b/extensions/molecule/linode/create.yml
index a83d995..fd73a3f 100644
--- a/extensions/molecule/linode/create.yml
+++ b/extensions/molecule/linode/create.yml
@@ -4,53 +4,91 @@
   connection: local
   gather_facts: false
   # no_log: "{{ molecule_no_log }}"
-  tasks:
-    # TODO: Developer must implement and populate 'server' variable
-    - name: Import state into tofu
-      command:
-        cmd: |
-          {{ item }}
-        chdir: "/workspace/seasharp/ansible-role_podman-host/tofu"
-      loop:
-        - tofu init
-        - tofu import module.main_vpc_subnet.linode_vpc.eqit_vpc {{ lookup('env', 'EQIT_VPC') }}
-        - tofu import module.main_vpc_subnet.linode_vpc_subnet.eqit_vpc_subnet "{{ lookup('env', 'EQIT_VPC') }}, {{ lookup('env', 'EQIT_VPC_SUBNET') }}"
-        - tofu refresh
+  vars:
+    molecule_inventory:
+      all:
+        hosts: {}
+        linode: {}
 
-    - name: Tofu show
+  tasks:
+    - name: Confirm we can reach
       command:
-        cmd: |
-          tofu state ls
-        chdir: "/workspace/seasharp/ansible-role_podman-host/tofu"
-      register: mycmd
-## grep names from subnet data
-## tofu import module.instance
+        cmd: "ping -c5 {{ lookup('env', 'TARGET_IP_ADDRESS') }}"
+      register: isping
+
     - debug:
         msg: |
-          {{ mycmd.stdout_lines }}
-#    - name: Create instance config
-#      when: server.changed | default(false) | bool  # noqa no-handler
-#      block:
-#        - name: Populate instance config dict  # noqa jinja
-#          ansible.builtin.set_fact:
-#            instance_conf_dict: {}
-#            # instance': "{{ }}",
-#            # address': "{{ }}",
-#            # user': "{{ }}",
-#            # port': "{{ }}",
-#            # 'identity_file': "{{ }}", }
-#          with_items: "{{ server.results }}"
-#          register: instance_config_dict
-#
-#        - name: Convert instance config dict to a list
-#          ansible.builtin.set_fact:
-#            instance_conf: "{{ instance_config_dict.results | map(attribute='ansible_facts.instance_conf_dict') | list }}"
-#
-#        - name: Dump instance config
-#          ansible.builtin.copy:
-#            content: |
-#              # Molecule managed
-#
-#              {{ instance_conf | to_json | from_json | to_yaml }}
-#            dest: "{{ molecule_instance_config }}"
-#            mode: "0600"
+          "{{ isping.failed }}"
+
+    - name: Fail if instance is not running
+      when: isping.failed
+      fail:
+
+    - name: Add linode to molecule_inventory
+      vars:
+        inventory_partial_yaml: |
+          all:
+            children:
+              linode:
+                hosts:
+                  "{{ lookup('env', 'TARGET_IP_ADDRESS') }}":
+                    ansible_ssh_private_key_file: "{{ lookup('env', 'GITHUB_WORKSPACE') }}/.ssh/act_runner_id-ed25519"
+                    ansible_connection: ssh
+                    service_users:
+                      - name: serviceuser1
+                        services:
+                          - service1
+                          - service2
+      ansible.builtin.set_fact:
+        molecule_inventory: >
+          {{ molecule_inventory | combine(inventory_partial_yaml | from_yaml, recursive=true) }}
+
+    - name: Dump molecule_inventory
+      ansible.builtin.copy:
+        content: |
+          {{ molecule_inventory | to_yaml }}
+        dest: "{{ molecule_ephemeral_directory }}/inventory/molecule_inventory.yml"
+        mode: "0600"
+
+    - name: Force inventory refresh
+      ansible.builtin.meta: refresh_inventory
+
+    - name: Fail if linode group is missing
+      ansible.builtin.assert:
+        that: "'linode' in groups"
+        fail_msg: |
+          linode group was not found inside inventory groups: {{ groups }}
+      run_once: true # noqa: run-once[task]
+
+# we want to avoid errors like "Failed to create temporary directory"
+- name: Validate that inventory was refreshed
+  hosts: linode
+  gather_facts: false
+  tasks:
+    - name: Check uname
+      ansible.builtin.raw: uname -a
+      register: result
+      changed_when: false
+
+    - name: Display uname info
+      ansible.builtin.debug:
+        msg: "{{ result.stdout }}"
+
+- name: Verify linode properties
+  hosts: linode
+  gather_facts: false
+
+  tasks:
+    - name: Packages openssh-server, python3-policycoreutils
+      ansible.builtin.dnf:
+        name: ['openssh-server', 'python3-policycoreutils']
+        state: present
+
+    - name: systemd PID
+      command: ps -q 1
+      register: ps_result
+      changed_when: false
+
+    - name: Display PID 1 info
+      ansible.builtin.debug:
+        msg: "{{ ps_result.stdout }}"