XK0-006 Automation, Orchestration, and Scripting Practice Question
A Linux administrator is writing a bash script that must exit immediately if any command fails. Which of the following should be included at the beginning of the script?
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
✓
set -e
The set -e command causes the shell to exit if any command exits with a non-zero status, which is exactly what is needed to ensure the script stops on failure.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
set -e
Why this is correct
Correct. set -e exits on any command failure.
- ✗
set -o pipefail
Why it's wrong here
set -o pipefail causes a pipeline to fail if any command fails, but alone does not exit immediately; often combined with set -e.
- ✗
set -u
Why it's wrong here
set -u exits on unset variable usage, not on command failure.
- ✗
set -x
Why it's wrong here
set -x enables debug tracing, not exit on error.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Linux Fundamentals and History
Key term
Linux
Linux is an open-source operating system that manages computer hardware and software, widely used in servers, desktops, and embedded systems.
Key term
Bash script
A Bash script is a text file containing a sequence of commands for the Unix shell Bash, allowing users to automate repetitive tasks and streamline system administration on Linux and macOS.
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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.