hardMultiple SelectObjective-mapped
XK0-006 Practice Question: Which TWO conditions must be met for a user to…
Which TWO conditions must be met for a user to successfully delete a file owned by a different user in a directory? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates mistakenly think file write permission (Option A) or file ownership (Option D) is required for deletion, when in fact directory permissions are the sole deciding factor for removing a directory entry.
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
✓
The user has write permission on the directory
To delete a file in Linux, the user does not need any permissions on the file itself; instead, the user needs write permission on the directory because deleting a file modifies the directory's contents (removing the directory entry). Additionally, execute permission on the directory is required to access the directory and its inode entries, allowing the user to traverse the directory to locate the file. These two permissions together enable the deletion of a file owned by another user.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The user has write permission on the file
Why it's wrong here
File permissions are not considered for deletion of the file.
- ✓
The user has write permission on the directory
Why this is correct
Write permission on the directory is required to delete entries.
- ✓
The user has execute permission on the directory
Why this is correct
Execute permission is needed to access the directory.
- ✗
The user is the owner of the file
Why it's wrong here
Ownership of the file is not required.
- ✗
The user is a member of the group that owns the directory
Why it's wrong here
Group membership is only relevant if the directory's group permissions allow.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Linux Fundamentals and History
Key term
inode
An inode is a data structure in a Unix-like file system that stores metadata about a file, such as its size, permissions, and location on disk, but not its name.
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.
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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.