LPIC-2 Timed Practice Test 5 — 10 Questions

Question 1

A developer compiled a custom kernel, installed it, but the system hangs before init starts. The previous kernel works. Which step was most likely missed?

Accepted Answer

Not rebuilding initramfs. When a custom kernel is compiled and installed, the initramfs must be rebuilt to include the necessary kernel modules for mounting the root filesystem at boot. If the initramfs is not regenerated, the kernel may lack critical drivers (e.g., for storage controllers or filesystems), causing the system to hang before init starts because it cannot access the root device. The previous kernel works because its initramfs was built with the correct modules for that kernel version.

Answer

Not updating GRUB configuration

Answer

Not running depmod

Answer

Not setting the correct root filesystem

Question 2

To list all currently loaded kernel modules, which command is used?

Accepted Answer

lsmod. The correct command to list all currently loaded kernel modules is `lsmod`. It reads the `/proc/modules` file and displays the module name, size, used count, and a list of dependent modules. This is the standard and most direct method on Linux systems.

Answer

kmod -l

Answer

modlist

Answer

modules_loaded

Question 3

An administrator needs to ensure a kernel module is never loaded, even if requested. Which file should be used?

Accepted Answer

/etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf. Option B is correct because the standard mechanism to prevent a kernel module from loading is to add a `blacklist` directive in a file under `/etc/modprobe.d/`, typically named `blacklist.conf`. The `modprobe` utility reads all `.conf` files in this directory, and a `blacklist <module_name>` entry ensures the module is never automatically loaded or loaded via `modprobe`, even if explicitly requested.

Answer

/etc/modprobe.d/deny.conf

Answer

/lib/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf

Answer

/etc/modules-load.d/blacklist.conf

Question 4

An administrator needs to add support for a new hardware device by compiling a kernel module. After compiling the module against the current kernel source, the module fails to load with 'modprobe: ERROR: could not insert 'mymod': Unknown symbol in module'. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

Accepted Answer

The module was compiled against a different kernel version than the running kernel. The error 'Unknown symbol in module' indicates that the module references a kernel symbol (function or variable) that is not present in the currently running kernel. This most commonly occurs when the module was compiled against a different kernel version or configuration than the running kernel, causing symbol version mismatches. The kernel's symbol versioning (CONFIG_MODVERSIONS) checks CRC values of exported symbols, and a mismatch prevents insertion.

Answer

The module has not been signed for Secure Boot

Answer

The module's dependencies are missing

Answer

The module name conflicts with a built-in driver

Question 5

A technician is troubleshooting a system that fails to boot after adding a new SATA SSD and editing /etc/fstab. The error message is 'Kernel panic - not syncing: VFS: Unable to mount root fs on unknown-block(8,17)'. What is the most likely issue?

Accepted Answer

The root filesystem UUID in /etc/fstab is incorrect.. The error 'unknown-block(8,17)' indicates the kernel cannot find the root filesystem. Block device 8,17 corresponds to /dev/sdb1 (major 8 for SCSI/SATA, minor 17). The most likely cause is an incorrect UUID in /etc/fstab, which prevents the system from mounting the root partition. The kernel can see the device, but the mount fails because the UUID specified does not match any available partition.

Answer

The kernel image is missing.

Answer

The kernel lacks SATA driver support.

Answer

The initramfs was not regenerated after adding the disk.

Question 6

A laptop user frequently moves between different networks. The administrator wants the DNS configuration to update automatically when the laptop connects to a new network via DHCP. Which service or tool is most appropriate for this task?

Accepted Answer

NetworkManager. NetworkManager is the most appropriate tool because it is designed to manage network connections on modern Linux systems, automatically detecting network changes and reconfiguring DNS settings based on DHCP-provided information. It integrates with various backends (e.g., systemd-resolved, resolvconf) to update the system's DNS configuration dynamically, making it ideal for a laptop that frequently moves between networks.

Answer

systemd-resolved

Answer

dhcpcd

Answer

resolvconf

Question 7

Which protocol does Samba implement to provide file sharing services to Windows clients?

Accepted Answer

SMB. Samba implements the SMB (Server Message Block) protocol, specifically the CIFS variant, to provide file and printer sharing services to Windows clients. SMB operates over TCP port 445 (direct hosting) or NetBIOS over TCP/IP (ports 137-139), enabling cross-platform file access in mixed Linux/Windows environments.

Answer

HTTP

Answer

AFP

Answer

NFS

Question 8

A Linux client is configured with the following in /etc/nslcd.conf: 'uri ldap://10.0.0.1/', 'base dc=example,dc=com'. Which command can be used to test connectivity to the LDAP server and verify the base DN?

Accepted Answer

ldapsearch -x -H ldap://10.0.0.1 -b dc=example,dc=com. The `ldapsearch` command with `-x` (simple authentication), `-H ldap://10.0.0.1` (specifying the LDAP URI), and `-b dc=example,dc=com` (setting the search base DN) directly performs an anonymous LDAP search against the server. If the server is reachable and the base DN exists, it returns entries, confirming both connectivity and the validity of the base DN. This matches the configuration in `/etc/nslcd.conf` and is the standard tool for testing LDAP server responses.

Answer

authconfig --test

Answer

getent passwd

Answer

nslcd -d

Question 9

Which of the following is a valid NTP configuration file directive to specify a broadcast client?

Accepted Answer

broadcastclient. Option D is correct because the `broadcastclient` directive in an NTP configuration file instructs the NTP daemon to listen for NTP broadcast messages on the local network. This is the standard way to configure a client to synchronize time from a broadcast server without specifying individual server addresses.

Answer

peer

Answer

server

Answer

broadcast

Question 10

Which TWO commands can be used to connect to a Samba share from a Linux command line?

Accepted Answer

smbclient. B is correct because smbclient is a command-line tool that uses the SMB/CIFS protocol to connect to Samba shares, allowing file transfers and directory listing. D is correct because mount.cifs is a helper program that mounts a Samba share to a local directory using the CIFS filesystem type, enabling direct file access via the kernel's cifs module.

Answer

sshfs

Answer

nfsmount

Answer

ftp