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XK0-006 Practice Question: Which THREE are valid methods to view logs in a…
Which THREE are valid methods to view logs in a systemd-based system?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse `systemctl status` (which shows a brief log snippet) with a full log viewing method, or they assume legacy syslog files like `/var/log/messages` are always present and authoritative on systemd-based systems.
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
B is correct because `journalctl` is the primary command for querying the systemd journal, which is the default logging system on systemd-based distributions. It provides structured, binary logs with advanced filtering, and is the direct equivalent of viewing logs via the journal.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
cat /var/log/messages
Why it's wrong here
This is a traditional syslog file, not directly part of systemd journal.
- ✓
journalctl
Why this is correct
Displays the systemd journal.
- ✓
journalctl -u sshd
Why this is correct
Filters journal logs for the sshd unit.
- ✗
systemctl status sshd
Why it's wrong here
Shows recent logs but only a limited amount; not a full view.
- ✓
dmesg
Why this is correct
Shows kernel ring buffer messages.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Process Management and System Monitoring
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.
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.
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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.