hardMultiple Choice
XK0-006 Practice Question: A system administrator is troubleshooting a…
A system administrator is troubleshooting a Docker container that exits immediately after starting. The container is built from a minimal image that runs a short-lived command. Which change will keep the container running?
⚠ Common exam trap
CompTIA often tests the misconception that detached mode (`-d`) or restart policies (`--restart=always`) can keep a container running indefinitely, but the core requirement is that the container's main process must not terminate.
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
✓
Modify the Dockerfile to use CMD ["sh"] instead of CMD ["echo", "hello"]
The container exits immediately when its main process finishes. By changing the CMD from `["echo", "hello"]` (which prints a message and exits) to `["sh"]`, the container runs an interactive shell that waits for input, keeping the process alive and the container running. In Docker, a container lives only as long as its PID 1 process runs.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Modify the Dockerfile to use CMD ["sh"] instead of CMD ["echo", "hello"]
Why this is correct
Replacing the one-shot `echo` with an interactive shell gives the container a long-running foreground process (PID 1), so Docker does not treat it as exited. The stem's constraint — a minimal image whose command terminates immediately — is satisfied because `sh` blocks awaiting input, keeping the container alive.
- ✗
Use -d flag to run in detached mode
Why it's wrong here
Detached mode only backgrounds the container, returning the terminal while the short-lived command still completes and the container exits. -d is for running long-lived services without blocking the shell, not for extending a process that finishes immediately.
- ✗
Restart the container with --restart=always
Why it's wrong here
Restart policies only re-run the container after its main process exits, so a short-lived command still terminates and loops rather than staying up. --restart=always suits long-running services that crash unexpectedly, not images whose entrypoint simply finishes.
- ✗
Allocate a pseudo-TTY with -t flag
Why it's wrong here
A pseudo-TTY keeps the container attached to an interactive terminal, but the short-lived command still exits, so the container stops. It is tempting because -t is commonly paired with -it for interactive shells, and it would be correct when the container must accept terminal input rather than persist after its command completes.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Advanced Shell Scripting and Automation
Key term
Process
In IT service management, a process is a structured set of activities designed to accomplish a specific objective, such as managing incidents or changes, by transforming inputs into defined outputs.
Key term
Shell
A shell is a computer program that provides a user interface to access an operating system's services, typically by accepting text commands.
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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.