diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests.yml b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
index 33b47409..07f52f93 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        python-version: [3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9]
-        spack-version: [0.21.0, develop]
+        python-version: [3.8, 3.9, 3.12]
+        spack-version: [0.21.2, develop]
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v3
     - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
@@ -77,8 +77,8 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        python-version: [3.7, 3.8, 3.9]
-        spack-version: [0.21.0, develop]
+        python-version: [3.8, 3.9]
+        spack-version: [0.21.2, develop]
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v3
     - name: Set up Python ${{ matrix.python-version }}
diff --git a/check.py b/check.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b0631076
--- /dev/null
+++ b/check.py
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# Copyright (c) 2022, National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia,
+# LLC (NTESS). Under the terms of Contract DE-NA0003525 with NTESS, the U.S.
+# Government retains certain rights in this software.
+#
+# This software is released under the BSD 3-clause license. See LICENSE file
+# for more details.
+
+"""
+a script to make sure minimum requirements for spack-manager 
+are met.
+
+- python@3.8 or higher
+"""
+import sys
+
+def check_spack_manager_requirements():
+    if sys.version_info < (3,8):
+        raise ValueError("Spack-Manager requires Python 3.8 or higher.")
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    check_spack_manager_requirements()
diff --git a/install.py b/install.py
index b74c8b7f..bbd91178 100755
--- a/install.py
+++ b/install.py
@@ -15,13 +15,21 @@
 import llnl.util.tty as tty
 import os
 import spack.main
+import importlib.util
+import sys
 
+spec = importlib.util.spec_from_file_location("check", os.path.join(os.path.dirname(sys.argv[0]), "check.py"))
+check = importlib.util.module_from_spec(spec)
+sys.modules["check"] = check
+spec.loader.exec_module(check)
 
 parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
 parser.add_argument("-s", "--scope", required=False, help="Spack scope to register spack-manager")
+parser.add_argument("--test", action='store_true', help="Don't actually install but test installation process")
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     args = parser.parse_args()
+    check.check_spack_manager_requirements()
 
     extension_path = os.path.realpath(os.getcwd())
     if not os.path.isdir(os.path.join(extension_path, "manager")):
@@ -34,5 +42,8 @@
 
     register_args.extend(["add", "config:extensions:[{0}]".format(extension_path)])
 
-    config = spack.main.SpackCommand("config")
-    config(*register_args)
+    if args.test:
+        print("TEST:: config", *register_args)
+    else:
+        config = spack.main.SpackCommand("config")
+        config(*register_args)