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XK0-006 Practice Question: Which TWO commands effectively disable a systemd…
Which TWO commands effectively disable a systemd service to prevent it from starting, either automatically or manually? (Select 2.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse 'stopping' a service (temporary) with 'disabling' or 'masking' it (persistent prevention), and they may not realize that `mask` is the only command that blocks both automatic and manual starts.
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 disable
`systemctl disable` removes the symlinks that cause the service to start automatically at boot, preventing automatic starts. `systemctl mask` creates a strong symlink to `/dev/null`, which makes the service impossible to start either automatically or manually, as any attempt to start it is silently redirected to nothing.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
systemctl disable
Why this is correct
Disable removes the symlink that enables the service at boot, preventing automatic start.
- ✗
systemctl stop
Why it's wrong here
Stop halts the service but it can still be started manually or automatically at boot.
- ✗
systemctl reset-failed
Why it's wrong here
Reset-failed clears the 'failed' state but does not disable.
- ✗
systemctl kill
Why it's wrong here
Kill sends signals to the service processes; does not disable.
- ✓
systemctl mask
Why this is correct
Mask links the service to /dev/null, preventing any start (manual or automatic).
Go deeper
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Advanced Shell Scripting and Automation
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
systemctl
systemctl is the command-line tool used to inspect, start, stop, enable, or disable services managed by the systemd init system in Linux.
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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.