XK0-006 System Management Practice Question
A Linux administrator is troubleshooting a systemd service that fails to start. The service unit file is located at /etc/systemd/system/myservice.service. After editing the unit file, the administrator runs systemctl start myservice, but the service still uses the old configuration. Which command should be run to ensure systemd reloads the modified unit file?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that restarting the service is enough to apply unit file changes; systemd caches unit files until daemon-reload is executed.
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
✓
systemctl daemon-reload
After modifying a systemd unit file, the systemd manager must reload its configuration to recognize the changes. The systemctl daemon-reload command performs this reload, ensuring subsequent start or restart operations use the updated unit file.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
systemctl restart myservice
Why it's wrong here
systemctl restart stops and starts the service, but it still uses the cached unit file. It does not force systemd to re-read the modified unit file. Therefore, the service may continue with the old configuration, failing to resolve the issue.
- ✓
systemctl daemon-reload
Why this is correct
systemctl daemon-reload reloads systemd manager configuration, including all unit files. After editing a unit file, this command is necessary so systemd picks up changes. Without it, systemd continues using the cached version, causing the service to run with old settings.
- ✗
systemctl reenable myservice
Why it's wrong here
systemctl reenable re-creates the symbolic links for the service's enablement, but it does not reload the unit file into systemd's memory. It is used to reset enablement state, not to apply configuration changes, so it does not fix the problem.
- ✗
systemctl reload myservice
Why it's wrong here
systemctl reload myservice sends a reload signal to the running service, asking it to reload its own configuration. It does not re-read the unit file from disk. If the service is not running or does not support reload, this fails, and it does not address the unit file change.
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File Transfer and Remote Access
Key term
systemd
systemd is a system and service manager for Linux operating systems that initializes and manages processes, services, and system resources after the kernel boots.
Key term
Linux
Linux is an open-source operating system that manages computer hardware and software, widely used in servers, desktops, and embedded systems.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
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.