XK0-006 System Management Practice Question
Which of the following directories in the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS) contains variable data files such as logs, spool files, and temporary files that persist across reboots?
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
✓
/var
/var is for variable data like logs, spool, and temporary files that persist. /tmp is for temporary files that may be cleared on reboot. /etc is for configuration files. /opt is for optional add-on software.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
/opt
Why it's wrong here
/opt holds add-on application software packages, each in its own subtree, not variable runtime data. It is tempting because third-party applications installed there do generate logs and spool files, but those live under /var, which FHS defines as the location for variable data persisting across reboots.
- ✗
/etc
Why it's wrong here
/etc holds static, host-specific configuration files, not variable runtime data. It is tempting because administrators edit configuration there and logs are frequently configured from it, but FHS reserves /var for variable data such as logs, spool files and persistent temporary files.
- ✗
/tmp
Why it's wrong here
/tmp holds temporary files that may be cleared on reboot, so it fails the persistence requirement in the stem. It is tempting because spool-like and transient working files appear there, but FHS places variable data such as logs and spool files under /var, not /tmp.
- ✓
/var
Why this is correct
/var holds variable data — logs, spool queues and persistent temporary files — which change in size and content during normal operation. The FHS reserves it precisely for data that must survive reboots, unlike /tmp, which is typically cleared. This satisfies the stem's requirement for variable files persisting across restarts.
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