Validation

Use this file when the user asks how to verify or troubleshoot generated Quadlet units.

Basic deployment flow

Rootless

systemctl --user daemon-reload
systemctl --user start <unit>
systemctl --user status <unit>

Rootful

systemctl daemon-reload
systemctl start <unit>
systemctl status <unit>

Generator debugging

Use the Podman systemd generator dry run when units fail to appear or options look unsupported.

/usr/lib/systemd/system-generators/podman-system-generator --dryrun

For rootless debugging:

/usr/lib/systemd/system-generators/podman-system-generator --user --dryrun

Systemd verification

systemd-analyze verify <unit>.service

For user units:

systemd-analyze --user verify <unit>.service

Common failure causes

unsupported Quadlet option for the installed Podman version
bind-mount source directory missing
wrong rootless or rootful unit directory
unresolved env file path
permissions on rootless bind mounts
readiness assumptions hidden behind depends_on

Troubleshooting posture

When validation fails, report:

what generated successfully
what failed to generate or start
whether the issue is syntax, unsupported feature, path resolution, or permissions

Relationship to execution phase

Validation belongs after the files are written in the execution phase.

Before execution, the skill should already have completed planning and finalize review with the user. Do not treat validation as a substitute for design review.

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