XK0-006 Automation, Orchestration, and Scripting Practice Question
A Linux administrator is writing a bash script that needs to iterate over all files ending with .log in /var/log and output the number of lines in each file. Which loop construct should be used?
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
✓
for f in /var/log/*.log; do wc -l "$f"; done
A for loop with a glob pattern is the simplest way to iterate over files matching a pattern.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
while read f; do wc -l "$f"; done < /var/log/*.log
Why it's wrong here
The redirection of multiple files is invalid; the while loop expects a file or input stream.
- ✓
for f in /var/log/*.log; do wc -l "$f"; done
Why this is correct
Correct. The for loop iterates over each file matching the glob.
- ✗
for ((i=0; i<${#files[@]}; i++)); do wc -l "${files[$i]}"; done
Why it's wrong here
This requires an array of filenames, which is not defined in the stem.
- ✗
until [ -z "$f" ]; do wc -l "$f"; shift; done
Why it's wrong here
The until loop is not appropriate for iterating over file lists; shift is used with positional parameters.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Linux Fundamentals and History
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.
Key term
Output
In IT service management, output is the result or deliverable produced by a process, system, or component, such as data, reports, or services delivered to a customer.
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