molecule login leads to missing ../.cache/molecule/playbooks/default/instance_config.yml

Question

I am in the early stages of role/playbook development with molecule and I do encounter following issue:

• ansible version

~/git_projects/ansible_rie_roles/playbooks$ ansible --version
ansible [core 2.16.4]
  config file = None
  configured module search path = ['/home/hg130012/.ansible/plugins/modules', '/usr/share/ansible/plugins/modules']
  ansible python module location = /home/hg130012/git_projects/ansible_rie_roles/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/ansible
  ansible collection location = /home/hg130012/.ansible/collections:/usr/share/ansible/collections
  executable location = /home/hg130012/git_projects/ansible_rie_roles/.venv/bin/ansible
  python version = 3.10.12 (main, Nov 20 2023, 15:14:05) [GCC 11.4.0] (/home/hg130012/git_projects/ansible_rie_roles/.venv/bin/python)
  jinja version = 3.1.3
  libyaml = True

• molecule version

~/git_projects/ansible_rie_roles/playbooks$ molecule --version
molecule 24.2.0 using python 3.10 
    ansible:2.16.4
    default:24.2.0 from molecule

• Executing molecule create, converge, tests etc. are all working

:~/git_projects/ansible_rie_roles/playbooks$ molecule converge
INFO     default scenario test matrix: dependency, create, prepare, converge
...
...
PLAY RECAP *********************************************************************
localhost                  : ok=3    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0
molecule-ubuntu            : ok=2    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=0    rescued=0    ignored=0

• I am able to see the molecule instance:

~/git_projects/ansible_rie_roles/playbooks$ molecule list
INFO     Running default > list
                  ╷             ╷                  ╷               ╷         ╷            
  Instance Name   │ Driver Name │ Provisioner Name │ Scenario Name │ Created │ Converged  
╶─────────────────┼─────────────┼──────────────────┼───────────────┼─────────┼───────────╴
  molecule-ubuntu │ default     │ ansible          │ default       │ true    │ true       
                  ╵             ╵                  ╵               ╵         ╵          

• I am able to see the container

~/git_projects/ansible_rie_roles/playbooks$ docker ps
CONTAINER ID   IMAGE          COMMAND      CREATED          STATUS          PORTS     NAMES
ab03f0c553e3   ubuntu:18.04   "sleep 1d"   51 seconds ago   Up 50 seconds             molecule-ubuntu

• However, I cannot "login" with ansible

INFO     Running default > login
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/hg130012/git_projects/ansible_rie_roles/.venv/bin/molecule", line 8, in <module>
    sys.exit(main())
  File "/home/hg130012/git_projects/ansible_rie_roles/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/click/core.py", line 1157, in __call__
    return self.main(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/home/hg130012/git_projects/ansible_rie_roles/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/click/core.py", line 1078, in main
    rv = self.invoke(ctx)
  File "/home/hg130012/git_projects/ansible_rie_roles/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/click/core.py", line 1688, in invoke
    return _process_result(sub_ctx.command.invoke(sub_ctx))
  File "/home/hg130012/git_projects/ansible_rie_roles/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/click/core.py", line 1434, in invoke
    return ctx.invoke(self.callback, **ctx.params)
  File "/home/hg130012/git_projects/ansible_rie_roles/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/click/core.py", line 783, in invoke
    return __callback(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/home/hg130012/git_projects/ansible_rie_roles/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/click/decorators.py", line 33, in new_func
    return f(get_current_context(), *args, **kwargs)
  File "/home/hg130012/git_projects/ansible_rie_roles/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/molecule/command/login.py", line 129, in login
    base.execute_subcommand(scenario.config, subcommand)
  File "/home/hg130012/git_projects/ansible_rie_roles/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/molecule/command/base.py", line 157, in execute_subcommand
    return command(config).execute(args)
  File "/home/hg130012/git_projects/ansible_rie_roles/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/molecule/logger.py", line 188, in wrapper
    rt = func(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/home/hg130012/git_projects/ansible_rie_roles/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/molecule/command/login.py", line 56, in execute
    self._get_login(hostname)
  File "/home/hg130012/git_projects/ansible_rie_roles/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/molecule/command/login.py", line 96, in _get_login
    login_options = self._config.driver.login_options(hostname)
  File "/home/hg130012/git_projects/ansible_rie_roles/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/molecule/driver/delegated.py", line 197, in login_options
    return util.merge_dicts(d, self._get_instance_config(instance_name))
  File "/home/hg130012/git_projects/ansible_rie_roles/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/molecule/driver/delegated.py", line 252, in _get_instance_config
    instance_config_dict = util.safe_load_file(self._config.driver.instance_config)
  File "/home/hg130012/git_projects/ansible_rie_roles/.venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/molecule/util.py", line 245, in safe_load_file
    with open(filename) as stream:
FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/home/hg130012/.cache/molecule/playbooks/default/instance_config.yml

I tried to google the issue, but I coudln't find any help with this issue.