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XK0-006 Practice Question: A server running Ubuntu 20.04 has a custom…
A server running Ubuntu 20.04 has a custom application that is started as a systemd service. The service often fails to start after a system reboot, although it can be started manually with 'systemctl start myapp' without errors. The administrator checks the service status after boot and sees 'Failed to start myapp.service: Unit is not loaded properly: Invalid argument'. Which of the following is the most likely cause of this issue?
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 ExecStart line in the unit file contains an invalid parameter or malformed path.
The error 'Invalid argument' indicates a syntax error or invalid directive in the systemd unit file. The most common cause is an incorrect path or syntax in the ExecStart line, which results in a malformed unit file. Option B is correct. Option A (binary does not exist) would produce a 'not found' error, not 'Invalid argument'. Option C (Type=oneshot without RemainAfterExit=yes) would cause a different behavior or error like 'Service has more than one ExecStop=' but not 'Invalid argument'. Option D (missing [Install] section) would prevent the service from being enabled, but the error shown is about unit loading, not missing section.
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 service binary does not exist at the specified path.
Why it's wrong here
If binary missing, systemd would report 'No such file or directory' or 'Exec format error'.
- ✓
The ExecStart line in the unit file contains an invalid parameter or malformed path.
Why this is correct
Invalid arguments in ExecStart cause 'Invalid argument' error during loading.
- ✗
The service uses a Type=oneshot but no RemainAfterExit=yes is set.
Why it's wrong here
That might cause 'inactive (dead)' but not 'Invalid argument'.
- ✗
The service file has a missing [Install] section.
Why it's wrong here
Missing [Install] would prevent enabling but not cause 'Invalid argument'.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
File Permissions and Ownership
Key term
Service
A service is a software component or system that performs a specific function and is available to be used by other programs or users over a network.
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.
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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.