mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped
XK0-006 Practice Question: An administrator views the exhibit output
Network Topology
An administrator views the exhibit output. Which command should be used first to investigate why sshd failed?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often jump to `systemctl status` or `systemctl restart` out of habit, not realizing that the journal logs provide the specific error details needed to diagnose a failure, and that restarting without investigation can hide the root cause.
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
✓
journalctl -u sshd.service
The `journalctl -u sshd.service` command is the correct first step because it displays the systemd journal logs specifically for the sshd service, providing detailed error messages and timestamps that explain why the service failed. This diagnostic approach follows the principle of checking logs before attempting to restart or modify a service, as the logs contain the root cause information needed for troubleshooting.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
systemctl status sshd.service
Why it's wrong here
Shows status but not full logs.
- ✗
systemctl restart sshd.service
Why it's wrong here
Restarts without investigation.
- ✓
journalctl -u sshd.service
Why this is correct
Shows the service logs for diagnosis.
- ✗
systemctl list-units
Why it's wrong here
Lists all units, not specific logs.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
System Troubleshooting and Performance Tuning
Key term
journalctl
Journalctl is a command-line tool used to view and query logs collected by the systemd journal, which stores system and application messages on Linux systems.
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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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.