XK0-006 System Management Practice Question
A user wants to create a symbolic link to a file named 'original' in their home directory. Which command creates a symbolic link named 'link'?
⚠ Common exam trap
XK0-006 often tests the argument order of 'ln -s' and the hard-link versus symbolic-link distinction, causing candidates to reverse the target and link name or forget the -s flag.
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 -s original link
The 'ln -s' command creates a symbolic (soft) link. The syntax is 'ln -s <target> <linkname>', so 'ln -s original link' creates a symlink named 'link' that points to 'original'. Without the -s flag, ln creates a hard link instead.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
ln original link
Why it's wrong here
Without -s, ln creates a hard link, sharing the same inode as 'original'; the stem requires a symbolic link, which is a separate inode pointing to the target path. The syntax is otherwise identical, making -s easy to omit when the intent is a shortcut that survives across filesystems.
- ✓
ln -s original link
Why this is correct
ln -s creates a symbolic link, with the target 'original' first and the new link name 'link' second. The -s flag distinguishes it from a hard link, satisfying the requirement for a symlink in the home directory.
- ✗
ln -s link original
Why it's wrong here
The arguments are reversed: ln -s takes the target first, then the link name, so this creates a link named 'original' pointing to 'link'. It is tempting because -s correctly selects symbolic mode, but the operand order must be target then link name.
- ✗
symlink original link
Why it's wrong here
symlink is not a Linux command, so the shell reports command not found and no link is created. The correct utility is ln with the -s flag. A similar verb exists in some other environments, which is why it may be recalled, but not in a standard shell.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
File Permissions and Ownership
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.
Key term
Hard link
A hard link is a directory entry that associates a name with a file's data on a storage device, allowing multiple filenames to point to the same underlying inode and data blocks.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official CompTIA exam blueprint
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