XK0-006 System Management Practice Question
A developer creates a hard link to a file and then deletes the original file. What happens to the hard link?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
The hard link still contains the data and is accessible.
Hard links share the same inode; deleting the original file removes one link, but the data remains accessible via the hard link until all links are removed.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The hard link is broken and cannot be accessed.
Why it's wrong here
Hard links are not broken; they are independent references.
- ✓
The hard link still contains the data and is accessible.
Why this is correct
Correct: The hard link still points to the same inode, so the data remains.
- ✗
The hard link is automatically converted to a copy of the file.
Why it's wrong here
No conversion occurs; the link remains.
- ✗
The hard link becomes a symbolic link.
Why it's wrong here
Hard links do not become symbolic links; they remain valid.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
File Permissions and Ownership
Key term
Hard link
A hard link is a directory entry that associates a name with a file's data on a storage device, allowing multiple filenames to point to the same underlying inode and data blocks.
Key term
inode
An inode is a data structure in a Unix-like file system that stores metadata about a file, such as its size, permissions, and location on disk, but not its name.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This XK0-006 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the XK0-006 exam.