LFCS Operation of Running Systems Practice Question
A system administrator needs to ensure that the 'nginx' service starts automatically after a reboot on a system using systemd. The service unit file exists and is currently disabled. Which command should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse starting a service with enabling it; starting affects only the current runtime, while enabling controls boot-time behavior.
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 enable nginx
The systemctl enable nginx command is the correct way to configure a service to start automatically at boot. It creates the necessary symlinks without starting the service now, which matches the requirement to ensure automatic startup after a reboot.
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 start nginx
Why it's wrong here
systemctl start nginx activates the nginx service immediately but does not configure it to start automatically at boot. If the system reboots, the service will not start unless it was previously enabled. This command is for runtime activation only, not persistent enablement.
- ✗
systemctl daemon-reload
Why it's wrong here
systemctl daemon-reload reloads systemd manager configuration, which is necessary after modifying unit files, but it does not enable a service. It neither starts the service nor configures it for automatic startup. This command is unrelated to the enablement state of a service.
- ✗
systemctl enable --now nginx
Why it's wrong here
systemctl enable --now nginx both enables the service to start at boot and starts it immediately. While this achieves the goal, the question specifies that the service is currently disabled and the administrator only needs to ensure it starts after a reboot. The --now flag is unnecessary if the service is not required to run immediately.
- ✓
systemctl enable nginx
Why this is correct
The systemctl enable nginx command creates symbolic links from the systemd system configuration directory to the nginx.service unit file, ensuring the service is started at boot. It does not start the service immediately, but sets it to start automatically on the next boot.
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This LFCS question is part of Courseiva's 406-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Linux Foundation exam blueprint
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.