LFCS User and Group Management Practice Question
A system administrator needs to create a user 'john' with a home directory in /data/users and an expiry date of 2025-12-31. Which command accomplishes this?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse `-c` (comment) with `-e` (expiry) or assume `adduser` supports the same long options as `useradd`, leading them to pick A or B, while D is tempting because it includes `-m` but misses the required `-d` to specify the custom path.
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
✓
useradd -d /data/users -e 2025-12-31 john
The `useradd` command with `-d /data/users` sets the home directory to the specified path, and `-e 2025-12-31` sets the account expiry date in YYYY-MM-DD format. The `-e` flag directly corresponds to the `EXPIRE_DATE` field in `/etc/shadow`, which controls when the account becomes locked.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
useradd -d /data/users -c 2025-12-31 john
Why it's wrong here
-c sets the GECOS comment, not expiry.
- ✗
adduser --home /data/users --expiredate 2025-12-31 john
Why it's wrong here
adduser is distribution-specific and interactive; not the standard command.
- ✓
useradd -d /data/users -e 2025-12-31 john
Why this is correct
Correctly sets home directory and expiry.
- ✗
useradd -m -e 2025-12-31 john
Why it's wrong here
-m creates the home directory in /home/john by default, not /data/users.
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