hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
XK0-006 Practice Question: An administrator configures a new web server with…
An administrator configures a new web server with Apache and needs to ensure it starts automatically after a system reboot. The administrator runs 'systemctl enable httpd' but the service still does not start after reboot. What is the most likely reason?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse 'enabled' with 'started' and assume the service must be started manually after enabling, overlooking the more subtle masking mechanism that prevents automatic startup despite the enable state.
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 httpd service is masked, preventing it from starting.
The most likely reason the httpd service does not start after reboot despite being enabled is that it is masked. A masked service is symlinked to /dev/null, which prevents systemd from starting it even if it is enabled. The 'systemctl enable' command creates the necessary symlinks for automatic startup, but a mask overrides this by blocking the service unit entirely.
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 name is incorrect; it should be 'apache2' instead of 'httpd'.
Why it's wrong here
httpd is correct for RHEL/CentOS; the name varies by distribution but the question assumes correct name.
- ✗
The administrator forgot to run 'systemctl start httpd' after enabling it.
Why it's wrong here
Enable is for boot-time; start is for immediate start; but the service should start at boot if enabled.
- ✓
The httpd service is masked, preventing it from starting.
Why this is correct
A masked service cannot be started; check with 'systemctl is-enabled httpd'.
- ✗
The systemd daemon needs to be reloaded with 'systemctl daemon-reload'.
Why it's wrong here
Daemon-reload is needed after unit file changes, not after enable.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Process Management and System Monitoring
Key term
systemctl
systemctl is the command-line tool used to inspect, start, stop, enable, or disable services managed by the systemd init system in Linux.
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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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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