easyMultiple Choice
XK0-006 Practice Question: Verify which RPM packages are installed on a Red…
An administrator wants to verify which RPM packages are installed on a Red Hat Enterprise Linux system. Which command displays that information?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates familiar with Debian-based systems might choose `dpkg -l` or `apt list --installed`, while those who use yum daily might pick `yum list installed` because it works, but the exam specifically tests knowledge of the native RPM command `rpm -qa` for direct package database queries.
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
✓
rpm -qa
The `rpm -qa` command queries the RPM database and lists all installed packages on a Red Hat Enterprise Linux system. The `-q` flag enables query mode, and `-a` specifies all packages, making it the correct tool for this task.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
dpkg -l
Why it's wrong here
dpkg -l reads Debian's package database and has no access to RPM metadata on Red Hat Enterprise Linux. It is tempting because dpkg -l is the correct choice when listing installed packages on Debian or Ubuntu systems, where it queries the dpkg status file.
- ✗
apt list --installed
Why it's wrong here
apt is Debian and Ubuntu's package manager and cannot read the RPM database on Red Hat Enterprise Linux. It is tempting because apt list --installed is the correct choice when verifying installed packages on a Debian-based distribution, where dpkg underpins the package database.
- ✓
rpm -qa
Why this is correct
The -q flag queries the RPM database and -a selects all installed packages, so rpm -qa lists every installed package name and version. This reads the local Berkeley DB/rpmdb metadata directly, requiring no repository or network access.
- ✗
yum list installed
Why it's wrong here
yum can list installed packages but rpm -qa is more direct for package query.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Installing Linux and Package Management
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
rpm
RPM Package Manager (originally Red Hat Package Manager) is a powerful command-line utility for installing, updating, removing, querying, and verifying software packages on Linux systems that use the .rpm package format.
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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.