LFCS Service Configuration Practice Question
A service that was once enabled is now failing to start. The administrator wants to immediately disable it to prevent boot delays. Which command sequence is correct?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently choose Option B because they think stopping the service first is safer, but they overlook that the `&&` operator will skip the disable if the stop fails, leaving the service enabled and potentially causing boot delays, whereas `systemctl disable --now` handles both actions reliably regardless of the stop command's exit status.
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 --now service
`systemctl disable --now service` both stops the service immediately and disables it from starting at boot in a single atomic command. This is the most efficient way to prevent boot delays caused by a failing service, as it combines the stop and disable actions without relying on shell operators that could fail if the first command exits with a non-zero status.
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 service ; systemctl stop service
Why it's wrong here
Disable then stop, but if disable fails, stop may not run.
- ✗
systemctl stop service && systemctl disable service
Why it's wrong here
Correct but not the most efficient.
- ✓
systemctl disable --now service
Why this is correct
Stops and disables immediately.
- ✗
systemctl mask service
Why it's wrong here
Masking prevents any start, but does not stop if already running.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.