LFCS Essential Commands Practice Question

A systems administrator needs to add a new user 'jdoe' with a home directory in /export/home, a UID of 1500, and an expiry date of 2025-12-31. Which command should they use?

⚠ Common exam trap

Many candidates confuse the `-c` (comment) option with `-e` (expiry) and assuming `-b` (base directory) works the same as `-d` (explicit home directory), leading candidates to pick options that set the wrong field or fail to place the home directory in the specified 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 -u 1500 -d /export/home/jdoe -e 2025-12-31 jdoe

The `useradd` command with `-u 1500` sets the UID, `-d /export/home/jdoe` explicitly specifies the home directory path (without creating it unless `-m` is also used), and `-e 2025-12-31` sets the account expiry date in YYYY-MM-DD format. This matches all requirements: UID 1500, home directory at /export/home/jdoe, and expiry on 2025-12-31.

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 -u 1500 -d /export/home/jdoe -e 2025-12-31 jdoe
Why this is correct
Correct: sets UID, home directory, and expiry.
✗
useradd -u 1500 -d /export/home/jdoe -c 2025-12-31 jdoe
Why it's wrong here
-c is for comment, not expiry.
✗
useradd -u 1500 -m -e 2025-12-31 jdoe
Why it's wrong here
Home directory created in default /home/jdoe, not /export/home.
✗
useradd -u 1500 -b /export/home -e 2025-12-31 jdoe
Why it's wrong here
-b sets base directory, home would be /export/home/jdoe but -b is not standard; usually -d is used.

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LFCS Essential Commands Practice Question

Why each option matters

Option-by-option breakdown

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