easyMultiple Select
XK0-006 Practice Question: Which TWO commands can be used to change the…
Which TWO commands can be used to change the group ownership of a file? (Choose exactly two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often forget `chown` can change group ownership using the colon syntax (e.g., `chown :group file`), leading them to select only `chgrp` or incorrectly choose `chmod` or `groupmod`.
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
✓
chgrp
Option B (chgrp) is correct because chgrp is the dedicated command for changing a file's group ownership, e.g. 'chgrp developers file.txt' sets the group of file.txt to developers. Option D (chown) is correct because chown can also change group ownership using the ':group' or '.group' syntax, e.g. 'chown :developers file.txt' or 'chown user:developers file.txt'. Option A (chmod) is incorrect because it modifies read/write/execute permission bits (and special bits like setgid), not the owning group itself. Option C (groupmod) is incorrect because it modifies attributes of an existing group in /etc/group, such as its name or GID, not a file's group ownership. Option E (usermod) is incorrect because it modifies user account attributes such as group membership, home directory, or shell, not file ownership.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
chmod
Why it's wrong here
chmod sets read, write and execute permission bits for owner, group and others; it cannot reassign a file's owning group. It is tempting because group permissions are edited with it, and it would be correct when adjusting what the owning group may do with the file, not who owns it.
- ✓
chgrp
Why this is correct
`chgrp` changes a file's group owner directly, satisfying the requirement to alter group ownership. It accepts either a group name or numeric GID, and supports recursive application with `-R` for directory trees. Unlike `chown`, which modifies user and group ownership together, `chgrp` targets only the group attribute, making it the precise tool here.
- ✗
groupmod
Why it's wrong here
groupmod alters a group's own attributes, such as its name or GID, and never touches file inode metadata. It is tempting because it is the dedicated group-management command, and it would be correct when renaming a group or changing its GID rather than changing which group owns a file.
- ✓
chown
Why this is correct
`chown` changes both user and group ownership, so prefixing the group with a colon (or dot) alters group ownership alone, satisfying the stem's requirement to change a file's group. It operates directly on the inode's GID field, unlike `chmod`, which only adjusts permission bits.
- ✗
usermod
Why it's wrong here
usermod changes a user account's primary group, home directory or shell, not the group ownership of an existing file. It is tempting because its name suggests group modification, and it would be correct when reassigning a user's primary group membership rather than a file's owning group.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Basic Shell Scripting
Key term
Shell
A shell is a computer program that provides a user interface to access an operating system's services, typically by accepting text commands.
Key term
chown
chown is a Linux/Unix command used to change the owner and group associated with a file or directory.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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