010-160 The Linux Operating System Practice Test 5 — 15 Questions

Question 1

A helpdesk technician is asked to confirm which Linux kernel is currently running on a production web server so they can compare it against a vendor's supported-kernel list. They only have a standard shell session and want the most direct command that prints the running kernel release string. Which command should they use?

Choose an answer to begin — your selection is scored in the full session.

Accepted Answer

uname -r. The uname utility queries the running kernel itself, and the -r flag narrows the output to the kernel release string. That live value is authoritative because it reflects the kernel currently booted, not merely the newest kernel package installed on disk. The other commands report distribution metadata, loaded modules, or processor details, none of which identify the running kernel release.

Answer

cat /etc/os-release

Answer

lscpu

Answer

lsmod

Question 2

A new administrator is learning how Linux organizes its filesystem. She must identify which of the following statements about the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS) are correct. (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

/etc holds system-wide configuration files, and /var holds variable data such as logs and spool files.. The FHS defines /etc for configuration and /var for variable runtime data, and it places user homes under /home while reserving /root for the superuser. Statements about /bin holding kernel modules, /tmp being persistent, and /usr storing personal documents contradict the standard layout. Understanding these directory roles is essential for locating configuration, logs, and user data correctly.

Answer

/bin is reserved exclusively for kernel modules that load at boot time.

Answer

/usr must contain only user-created documents and personal media files.

Answer

/tmp is guaranteed to persist across reboots and should be used for permanent application data.

Question 3

A user wants to change the permissions of a file named 'data.txt' so that the owner can read and write, the group can read, and others have no access. Which command achieves this?

Accepted Answer

chmod 640 data.txt. The octal permission 640 translates to rw- for the owner, r-- for the group, and --- for others. This precisely matches the requested access: owner read/write, group read, others none. The other modes either grant others access, omit group read, or both, so they do not fulfill the requirement.

Answer

chmod 644 data.txt

Answer

chmod 600 data.txt

Answer

chmod 604 data.txt

Question 4

A user reports that a script located in their home directory will not run when they type its name, even though the file exists and has execute permission. The user is currently in that home directory. Which action explains why the script is not found and how to run it?

Accepted Answer

The current directory is not in the PATH, so the script must be invoked as ./scriptname.. The shell resolves bare command names by searching the directories in the PATH variable, and the current working directory is deliberately excluded from the default PATH to prevent accidental execution of malicious files. Supplying a relative path with ./ tells the shell exactly where to find the script, which resolves the command-not-found error without relocating or re-permissioning the file.

Answer

The script must be moved to /usr/local/bin before it can be executed.

Answer

The script lacks the setuid bit, so it must be run with sudo scriptname.

Answer

The execute permission must be granted with chmod +x scriptname first.

Question 5

A user reports that a script stored on a mounted USB drive will not execute when invoked by name, even though it runs when called explicitly through the shell with bash script.sh. The file has execute permission set for the user. Which is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The filesystem is mounted with the noexec option, preventing execution of binaries from that mount.. The noexec mount option allows files to be read but forbids executing them directly from that filesystem. That precisely matches a script failing when invoked by name on a USB drive while still running when handed to an interpreter explicitly, since interpretation only requires read access.

Answer

The user's PATH does not include the mount point of the USB drive.

Answer

The script is owned by root and the user is not root.

Answer

The script lacks a shebang line, so the kernel cannot determine an interpreter.

Question 6

A helpdesk technician is asked to install a Linux distribution on a spare workstation for a new employee who needs a full desktop environment. The technician wants to minimize the time spent selecting packages during installation. Which type of Linux distribution should the technician choose?

Accepted Answer

A full desktop-oriented distribution such as Ubuntu Desktop or Fedora Workstation. Desktop-oriented distributions bundle a graphical environment and common applications, so the installer handles most package selection automatically. This minimizes the technician's manual choices and delivers a ready-to-use workstation for the new employee. Source-based, minimal, and live-only options either require extensive manual package selection or do not provide a persistent full desktop installation.

Answer

A source-based distribution such as Gentoo

Answer

A minimal server distribution such as Debian netinst or AlmaLinux minimal

Answer

A live-only distribution such as Knoppix without an installer

Question 7

A new administrator needs to grant a colleague the ability to run a specific backup script as root without sharing the root password, while keeping the action auditable and restricted to that one command. The server already has the sudo package installed and the colleague has a normal user account. Which approach best meets these requirements?

Accepted Answer

Create a dedicated sudoers rule using visudo that permits the colleague to execute only the backup script as root.. Sudo is designed for delegating specific privileged commands with logging, and visudo safely edits the policy that defines those delegations. A targeted rule names the permitted user, the permitted command, and the target runas identity, which satisfies least privilege and auditability. Broad group membership and file-permission tricks either over-grant rights or fail to elevate privileges at all.

Answer

Place the colleague in the root group and give that group read and execute access to the script.

Answer

Change the script's file permissions to setuid root so the colleague can execute it with elevated privileges.

Answer

Add the colleague's account to the wheel group and rely on the default sudoers entry for that group.

Question 8

A Linux administrator is auditing user accounts and needs to identify which files store local user account and hashed password information on a typical distribution. (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

/etc/passwd. Local authentication data is split between /etc/passwd, which holds account attributes, and /etc/shadow, which holds the hashed passwords and aging policy. Together they form the complete local user database consulted by tools such as login, su, and passwd. The group file, login defaults, and sudo policy govern membership, defaults, and privilege delegation rather than storing credentials.

Answer

/etc/sudoers

Answer

/etc/group

Answer

/etc/login.defs

Question 9

A Linux administrator needs to check which shell is currently assigned to the user account 'jdoe' in the system's user database, without logging in as that user. Which command will display this information?

Accepted Answer

grep jdoe /etc/passwd. User account information, including the login shell, is stored in the /etc/passwd file. Searching that file for the username jdoe reveals the shell assigned to that account. Other commands either report the current user's environment, current identity, or running processes, none of which reliably show another user's configured login shell from the system database.

Answer

echo $SHELL

Answer

ps -u jdoe

Answer

whoami

Question 10

A technician is preparing a presentation on how Linux organizes its filesystem and wants to describe the role of the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard. Which two statements accurately describe the FHS as it applies to mainstream Linux distributions? (Choose two.)

Accepted Answer

It defines a common directory layout so that software and administrators can rely on predictable locations for files.. The Filesystem Hierarchy Standard exists to make file locations predictable across distributions, covering both core system directories and conventions for mounts such as /media and /mnt. It deliberately does not dictate storage formats or kernel versions, and configuration files are not forced into one universal directory. The two accurate statements reflect its real scope: consistent layout and defined mount conventions.

Answer

It guarantees that all configuration files are stored in a single directory regardless of the software package.

Answer

It specifies the exact kernel version that a conforming distribution must ship.

Answer

It mandates that every distribution use the ext4 filesystem for the root partition.

Question 11

A Linux administrator needs to grant a contractor temporary read and write access to a project directory without adding the contractor's account to a shared group or changing ownership of existing files. Which approach best meets this requirement while following standard Linux permission practice?

Accepted Answer

Use setfacl to add an access ACL entry granting the contractor rw on the directory and its contents.. POSIX access control lists allow permissions to be assigned to specific named users and groups beyond the three traditional classes. Using setfacl to add an entry for the contractor grants exactly the needed read and write rights on the project directory without disturbing group membership or ownership, and the entry can later be revoked with setfacl -x to end access.

Answer

Set the directory permissions to 777 so the contractor can read and write regardless of ownership.

Answer

Change the directory's group to the contractor's primary group and set permissions to 770.

Answer

Create a hard link to the directory inside the contractor's home directory.

Question 12

A consultant is auditing a Linux workstation and finds that a regular user's home directory contains a file named .bashrc and a file named .profile. The user reports that environment variables set in .profile are not present in new interactive terminal windows opened from the desktop, yet aliases from .bashrc work. Which explanation best accounts for this behavior?

Accepted Answer

Graphical terminal emulators typically start non-login interactive shells, which read .bashrc rather than .profile.. Bash distinguishes login shells from non-login interactive shells when choosing startup files. Login shells read profile files such as .profile or .bash_profile, while non-login interactive shells read .bashrc. Terminal windows spawned inside a graphical session are typically non-login shells, so variables defined only in .profile are absent while aliases in .bashrc appear, exactly matching the report.

Answer

The .bashrc file overrides .profile completely, deleting any variables that .profile previously exported.

Answer

Environment variables can only be defined in files under /etc, so user-level files cannot affect a graphical session.

Answer

The .profile file is only read by the display manager and never by shells, so its variables must be duplicated in .bashrc.

Question 13

A system administrator is troubleshooting a Linux server that has become unresponsive. The administrator wants to view a snapshot of all currently running processes, including those not attached to a terminal, along with their process IDs and CPU usage. Which command should the administrator use?

Accepted Answer

ps aux. The ps aux command generates a static snapshot of all processes on the system, including those without a controlling terminal, and shows PID, CPU usage, memory usage, and other details. This matches the administrator's requirement to inspect all running processes with their identifiers and processor utilization. The other commands either provide live updates, cover only shell jobs, or emphasize process hierarchy over resource metrics.

Answer

pstree

Answer

jobs

Answer

top

Question 14

A support engineer is handed a Linux server and needs to determine which user account is currently logged in on a remote SSH session before performing maintenance, so they can notify the right person. Which command most directly reports the usernames of users currently logged into the system?

Accepted Answer

who. The who utility consults the utmp login records and reports active sessions with usernames, terminals, and login times, including remote connections. That directly satisfies the need to identify who is logged in before maintenance. The alternative commands report identity, group membership, or the invoking user rather than enumerating current sessions.

Answer

id

Answer

whoami

Answer

groups

Question 15

A junior administrator is asked to determine which shell will be launched for a user named 'alex' upon login. The administrator inspects the /etc/passwd file and sees the following line: alex:x:1001:1001:Alex Smith:/home/alex:/bin/bash. Which field in this line specifies the login shell?

Accepted Answer

The seventh field, /bin/bash. The /etc/passwd file stores user account information in seven colon-separated fields. The login shell is the last field, here /bin/bash, which is executed when the user logs in interactively. Correctly reading this field helps administrators verify or change a user's default shell, which is essential for troubleshooting login environments and scripting behavior.

Answer

The third field, 1001

Answer

The fifth field, Alex Smith

Answer

The sixth field, /home/alex