mediumMultiple SelectObjective-mapped
XK0-006 Practice Question: Which THREE methods are valid for setting the…
Which THREE methods are valid for setting the default systemd target (runlevel) to multi-user mode? (Choose three.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse runtime runlevel changes (via `telinit` or `init`) with persistent default target changes, or they mistakenly think editing `/etc/inittab` still works on modern 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
✓
systemctl set-default multi-user.target
`systemctl set-default multi-user.target` is the standard systemd command to permanently change the default boot target to multi-user mode (runlevel 3). This command updates the symlink at `/etc/systemd/system/default.target` to point to `/lib/systemd/system/multi-user.target`, ensuring the system boots into a non-graphical, multi-user state.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Run telinit 3
Why it's wrong here
telinit changes the current runlevel temporarily, not default.
- ✓
systemctl set-default multi-user.target
Why this is correct
This is the standard command to set default target.
- ✓
Create a symlink /etc/systemd/system/default.target -> /lib/systemd/system/multi-user.target
Why this is correct
Creating or modifying the symlink to point to multi-user.target sets the default.
- ✗
Edit /etc/inittab
Why it's wrong here
inittab is used by SysV init, not systemd.
- ✓
Modify /etc/systemd/system/default.target
Why this is correct
default.target is a symlink; changing it to point to multi-user.target works.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
User and Group Administration
Key term
User
A user is any person, system, or device that interacts with an IT service, resource, or identity system, typically authenticated through credentials and authorized to perform specific actions.
Key term
systemctl
systemctl is the command-line tool used to inspect, start, stop, enable, or disable services managed by the systemd init system in Linux.
About these practice questions
One of 979 original XK0-006 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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.