20+ practice questions focused on GNU and Unix Commands — one of the most tested topics on the Linux Professional Institute Certification Level 1 LPIC-1 exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation so you learn why the right answer is correct.
Start GNU and Unix Commands PracticeA systems administrator needs to change the permissions of the file /home/user/script.sh so that the owner can read, write, and execute; the group can read and execute; and others have no access. Which command accomplishes this?
Explanation: Option B is correct because chmod 750 sets the permissions to rwxr-x---, which gives the owner read, write, and execute (7), the group read and execute (5), and others no access (0). This matches the requirement exactly.
Which TWO commands can be used to view the contents of a compressed file named archive.tar.gz without extracting it to disk?
Explanation: Option C is correct because the `tar -tzf` command lists the contents of a tar archive compressed with gzip without extracting it. The `-t` flag tells tar to list the table of contents, `-z` handles the gzip decompression on the fly, and `-f` specifies the archive file. This is the standard, single-command method for viewing the contents of a `.tar.gz` file without writing any files to disk.
Refer to the exhibit. An administrator needs to edit /etc/example.conf to change setting1 to 'production' and add a new line 'setting2=value' after the include line. The file must be edited in place without creating a backup. Which command sequence achieves this?
Explanation: Option A is correct because the first sed command uses the -i flag to edit the file in place without a backup, and the substitution 's/setting1=default/setting1=production/' changes the existing setting. The second sed command uses the 'a' (append) command after the line matching '^include ' to add the new line 'setting2=value' after it, also with -i to avoid creating a backup.
You are a Linux administrator for a company that runs a web server on a system with limited disk space. The web server logs are stored in /var/log/httpd/access_log and grow quickly. The operations team requires that the most recent logs be available for troubleshooting, but logs older than 7 days must be compressed to save space. You decide to implement log rotation using logrotate. The logrotate configuration file for httpd currently contains: /var/log/httpd/*.log { daily rotate 7 compress delaycompress missingok notifempty sharedscripts postrotate /bin/systemctl reload httpd 2>/dev/null || true endscript } After applying this configuration, you notice that log files are being compressed immediately instead of after one rotation. What is the most likely cause and the correct step to fix this?
Explanation: Option B is correct because the configuration uses 'rotate 7' with 'daily' frequency, meaning seven daily rotations are kept. However, 'delaycompress' delays compression by one rotation, so the most recent rotated log remains uncompressed. With 'daily' rotation, the current log and the most recent rotated log are both uncompressed, which may appear as if compression happens immediately. Changing to 'weekly' ensures that only the most recent week's logs remain uncompressed, matching the requirement that logs older than 7 days are compressed.
Arrange the steps to configure a static IP address on a Linux system using the command line.
Explanation: Static IP configuration requires editing the appropriate config file, then restarting networking to apply changes.
+15 more GNU and Unix Commands questions available
Practice all GNU and Unix Commands questions1. Baseline your knowledge
Start with 10 questions to gauge your current understanding of GNU and Unix Commands. This tells you whether you need a concept refresher or just practice.
2. Review every explanation
For each question — right or wrong — read the full explanation. Understanding why an answer is correct is more valuable than knowing the answer itself.
3. Focus on exam traps
GNU and Unix Commands questions on the LPIC-1 frequently use trap wording. Look for subtle differences in answers that test your precision, not just general knowledge.
4. Reach 80% consistently
Do repeated sessions until you score 80%+ three times in a row. Then move to mixed-mode practice to test cross-topic recall under realistic conditions.
The exact number varies per candidate. GNU and Unix Commands is tested as part of the Linux Professional Institute Certification Level 1 LPIC-1 blueprint. Practicing with targeted GNU and Unix Commands questions ensures you can handle any format or difficulty that appears.
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