This LFCS practice question tests your understanding of essential commands. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A user wants to view the contents of a compressed log file /var/log/syslog.2.gz without decompressing it first. Which command should they use?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Clue: "which command"
Why it matters: Tests specific CLI syntax. Recall the exact command and its required context — near-synonyms and partial matches are common distractors.
gunzip /var/log/syslog.2.gz
Why wrong: This decompresses and removes .gz extension, not what user wants.
cat /var/log/syslog.2.gz
Why wrong: cat outputs binary garbage.
zcat /var/log/syslog.2.gz
zcat reads gzip files directly.
less /var/log/syslog.2.gz
Why wrong: less may not handle compressed files without configuration.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
zcat /var/log/syslog.2.gz
Option C is correct because `zcat` is a utility that reads compressed files (typically gzip-compressed) and outputs their decompressed content to standard output without permanently decompressing the file. This allows the user to view the contents of `/var/log/syslog.2.gz` directly in the terminal.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
gunzip /var/log/syslog.2.gz
Why it's wrong here
This decompresses and removes .gz extension, not what user wants.
cat /var/log/syslog.2.gz
Why it's wrong here
cat outputs binary garbage.
zcat /var/log/syslog.2.gz
Why this is correct
zcat reads gzip files directly.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "first", "which command" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
less /var/log/syslog.2.gz
Why it's wrong here
less may not handle compressed files without configuration.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may confuse `zcat` with `gunzip` or assume `less` can handle compressed files natively, but the LFCS exam expects knowledge of the specific command designed for viewing compressed files without decompression.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
cat outputs binary garbage.
Detailed technical explanation
`zcat` is essentially a wrapper for `gzip -dc`, where `-d` enables decompression and `-c` writes to standard output. This command is part of the gzip suite and is commonly used in log rotation scenarios where administrators need to inspect old logs without altering the compressed archive. A subtle behavior is that `zcat` can also handle multiple files and concatenate their decompressed output, similar to `cat`.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the LFCS exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Essential Commands — This question tests Essential Commands — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: zcat /var/log/syslog.2.gz — Option C is correct because `zcat` is a utility that reads compressed files (typically gzip-compressed) and outputs their decompressed content to standard output without permanently decompressing the file. This allows the user to view the contents of `/var/log/syslog.2.gz` directly in the terminal.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "first", "which command". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
This LFCS practice question is part of Courseiva's free Linux Foundation 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 LFCS exam.
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