XK0-006 System Management Practice Question
A user wants to create a hard link named 'linkfile' to an existing file 'original'. Which command accomplishes this?
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
✓
ln original linkfile
The ln command without -s creates a hard link. ln -s creates a symbolic link. cp copies the file; mv moves it.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
mv original linkfile
Why it's wrong here
mv renames original to linkfile, leaving one directory entry and no second link; the inode's link count stays unchanged. It is tempting as a quick way to give a file a new name, and mv is correct when the goal is relocating or renaming rather than creating an additional hard link.
- ✗
ln -s original linkfile
Why it's wrong here
The -s flag creates a symbolic link, a separate inode pointing to a pathname, not a hard link sharing the original's inode. It is tempting because symlinks are the common default for shortcuts, and ln -s is correct when a link must survive across filesystems or target directories.
- ✓
ln original linkfile
Why this is correct
ln with two arguments creates a hard link by default, so 'ln original linkfile' makes linkfile an additional directory entry pointing to original's inode. This satisfies the requirement without the -s flag, which would create a symbolic link instead.
- ✗
cp original linkfile
Why it's wrong here
cp duplicates the file's data into a new inode, so linkfile and original are independent; edits to one do not affect the other. It is tempting because it produces a second filename, and cp is correct when an independent copy is wanted rather than a shared-inode hard link.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
File Permissions and Ownership
Key term
User
A user is any person, system, or device that interacts with an IT service, resource, or identity system, typically authenticated through credentials and authorized to perform specific actions.
Key term
Symbolic link
A symbolic link is a special file that points to another file or directory, acting as a shortcut that the operating system treats as the original item.
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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