hardMultiple SelectObjective-mapped
XK0-006 Practice Question: An administrator notices that a user's crontab…
An administrator notices that a user's crontab file is not executing. Which two commands can the administrator use to verify the user's crontab configuration? (Select TWO.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse commands that verify the cron daemon's status (like `systemctl status cron`) with commands that inspect the actual crontab content, or they mistakenly think editing (`-e`) is the same as listing (`-l`).
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
✓
crontab -l -u username
`crontab -l -u username` lists the current crontab entries for the specified user, allowing the administrator to verify the configured jobs. Option C is correct because on many Linux distributions, user crontab files are stored as plain text files under `/var/spool/cron/crontabs/username`, and reading that file directly shows the same content. Both commands let the administrator inspect the exact cron schedule and commands for that user.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
crontab -e -u username
Why it's wrong here
Opens the crontab in an editor, which is for editing, not verification without making changes.
- ✓
crontab -l -u username
Why this is correct
Lists the contents of the specified user's crontab.
- ✓
cat /var/spool/cron/crontabs/username
Why this is correct
Directly views the crontab file stored in the spool directory.
- ✗
systemctl status cron
Why it's wrong here
Checks whether the cron service is running, not the user's crontab contents.
- ✗
grep username /etc/crontab
Why it's wrong here
/etc/crontab is the system crontab, not user-specific crontabs.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Linux Fundamentals and History
Key term
Linux
Linux is an open-source operating system that manages computer hardware and software, widely used in servers, desktops, and embedded systems.
Key term
crontab
Crontab is a time-based job scheduler in Unix-like operating systems that allows users to automate the execution of scripts or commands at specified intervals.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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