010-160 · domain
The Linux Operating System
This domain covers core Linux operating system concepts: environment variables, file and directory management, disk partitioning, and file ownership. Questions test practical command usage and conceptual understanding. Expect multiple-choice items, including 'choose two' formats, that require identifying correct commands or statements about how Linux manages processes, storage, and permissions in real administrative scenarios.
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What to know about The Linux Operating System
Be able to use commands like du, sort, head, fdisk, parted, and chown correctly. The most important thing is to know the exact syntax and options for each task, especially distinguishing between similar commands and understanding environment variable scope.
Environment variables and their effect on command execution and shell behavior
Finding largest files within a directory tree using du, sort, and head
Disk partitioning tools such as fdisk, parted, and gparted
Changing file ownership with chown and understanding user/group syntax
Watch out for
Common The Linux Operating System exam traps
- ▸Confusing environment variables with shell variables, or assuming all variables are exported automatically.
- ▸Using ls instead of du to find large files, or forgetting to sort and limit output.
- ▸Mixing up chown and chmod, or specifying user and group in the wrong order.
Question index
All The Linux Operating System questions (68)
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Which command lists all files in a directory including hidden ones?
Easy2Which TWO of the following are examples of Linux distributions?
Easy3A helpdesk technician is preparing a Linux workstation for a new employee. The employee needs to know which account they are currently logged in as, without opening any graphical tools. Which single command should the technician recommend to display the current user's login name?
Easy4A new administrator needs to grant a colleague the ability to run a specific backup script as root without sharing the root password, while keeping the action auditable and restricted to that one command. The server already has the sudo package installed and the colleague has a normal user account. Which approach best meets these requirements?
Medium5A consultant is auditing a Linux workstation and finds that a regular user's home directory contains a file named .bashrc and a file named .profile. The user reports that environment variables set in .profile are not present in new interactive terminal windows opened from the desktop, yet aliases from .bashrc work. Which explanation best accounts for this behavior?
Hard6A new administrator is learning how Linux organizes its filesystem. She must identify which of the following statements about the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS) are correct. (Choose two.)
Medium7Which TWO of the following are examples of common Linux filesystems?
Easy8A help-desk analyst needs to see which processes are consuming the most CPU and memory in real time, and must be able to sort and kill a runaway process interactively. Which utility best fits this requirement?
Medium9A user needs to change their own password on a Linux system. Which command should they use?
Medium10You need to determine the UUID of a partition to add it to /etc/fstab. Which command should you use?
Medium11A user reports that a script located in their home directory will not run when they type its name, even though the file exists and has execute permission. The user is currently in that home directory. Which action explains why the script is not found and how to run it?
Medium12You need to ensure that a server's time is synchronized with an external time source to prevent authentication errors. Which daemon is responsible for this?
Medium13You have added a new hard drive to your Linux server, but the system does not automatically recognize the device. What is the first step you should take to verify if the kernel detects the hardware?
Hard14A support engineer is handed a Linux server and needs to determine which user account is currently logged in on a remote SSH session before performing maintenance, so they can notify the right person. Which command most directly reports the usernames of users currently logged into the system?
Medium15A system administrator needs to identify which process is listening on TCP port 80 on a Linux server. Which command is most appropriate?
Medium16Which TWO of the following are valid ways to view system logs?
Medium17An administrator wants to view the current system load and active processes. Which utility is the most appropriate for a real-time monitor?
Easy18Which THREE of the following are components of a standard network configuration?
Hard19You are setting up a local network and need to verify the path traffic takes to reach a remote host. Which command should you use?
Hard20A systems administrator is documenting a server and wants to record which kernel release is currently running, including any distribution-specific patch level, for compatibility checks with a third-party driver. Which command should be used to display this information?
Medium21Which command is used to display the current directory path in the terminal?
Easy22A user wants to change the permissions of a file named 'data.txt' so that the owner can read and write, the group can read, and others have no access. Which command achieves this?
Easy23A Linux administrator needs to check which shell is currently assigned to the user account 'jdoe' in the system's user database, without logging in as that user. Which command will display this information?
Medium24A Linux administrator is auditing user accounts and needs to identify which files store local user account and hashed password information on a typical distribution. (Choose two.)
Hard25A developer needs to know the kernel version currently running on the server. Which command provides this information?
Easy26You are trying to troubleshoot why a user cannot connect to your server via SSH. You want to see if the SSH daemon is listening on the appropriate port. Which command should you run?
Hard27A Linux administrator is preparing a machine that must run headless as a file server. She needs to identify which of the following are characteristics of a Linux server installation rather than a typical desktop installation. (Choose two.)
Hard28Which TWO of the following commands help in identifying hardware on a system?
Medium29You suspect that a process is consuming too much CPU. Which command allows you to sort active processes by CPU usage?
Medium30A Linux administrator is reviewing the boot process on a server that uses systemd. She wants to determine which target the system will boot into by default and confirm the current default setting. Which command should she use?
Hard31A Linux administrator is reviewing how environment variables affect command execution. Which TWO of the following statements about environment variables are correct? (Choose two.)
Hard32A Linux administrator is troubleshooting a server that fails to boot completely. The system starts but drops into an emergency shell. Which command should the administrator use to view the most recent kernel messages that might indicate the cause?
Hard33A junior administrator is asked to determine which shell will be launched for a user named 'alex' upon login. The administrator inspects the /etc/passwd file and sees the following line: alex:x:1001:1001:Alex Smith:/home/alex:/bin/bash. Which field in this line specifies the login shell?
Medium34Which THREE commands can be used to display information about system memory?
Hard35A server is running out of disk space. Which command allows you to view the space usage of directories in a human-readable format?
Medium36A Linux administrator needs to add a new user account named 'tester' with a home directory and a default shell of /bin/bash. Which command should be used?
Medium37A user wants to check the amount of free disk space on all mounted filesystems in a human-readable format. Which command should they use?
Easy38A helpdesk technician is asked to confirm which Linux kernel is currently running on a production web server so they can compare it against a vendor's supported-kernel list. They only have a standard shell session and want the most direct command that prints the running kernel release string. Which command should they use?
Easy39While exploring a Linux system, a new administrator runs `ls -l /etc/shadow` and sees that the file is owned by root and group shadow, with permissions `rw-r-----`. They want to understand which user accounts on the system are currently configured with a valid password hash versus those that are locked. Which command best lists only the accounts that have a real password hash set in `/etc/shadow`?
Medium40A system administrator is troubleshooting a Linux server that has become unresponsive. The administrator wants to view a snapshot of all currently running processes, including those not attached to a terminal, along with their process IDs and CPU usage. Which command should the administrator use?
Hard41A helpdesk technician is asked to install a Linux distribution on a spare workstation for a new employee who needs a full desktop environment. The technician wants to minimize the time spent selecting packages during installation. Which type of Linux distribution should the technician choose?
Easy42Which TWO of the following directories are usually located at the root of a Linux filesystem?
Easy43A technician has just unpacked a new server and needs to confirm which physical architecture the CPU reports so they can request the matching RPM package. Which command will display the machine's hardware architecture, such as x86_64?
Easy44A Linux system administrator notices that the /var/log directory is filling up quickly. They want to find the largest files within that directory tree to identify what is consuming space. Which command will accomplish this?
Hard45A consultant is preparing a presentation about the Linux ecosystem. She needs to explain the relationship between the kernel and a complete Linux distribution. Which statement best describes this relationship?
Medium46A user wants to view the contents of a text file named 'notes.txt' one page at a time, and also be able to scroll backward and forward within the file. Which command is best suited for this task?
Easy47A user reports that a script stored on a mounted USB drive will not execute when invoked by name, even though it runs when called explicitly through the shell with bash script.sh. The file has execute permission set for the user. Which is the most likely cause?
Hard48A system administrator is checking for hardware errors in the logs. Where are general system messages usually stored?
Medium49Which TWO of the following are considered hardware components?
Easy50A Linux administrator needs to grant a contractor temporary read and write access to a project directory without adding the contractor's account to a shared group or changing ownership of existing files. Which approach best meets this requirement while following standard Linux permission practice?
Hard51Which TWO of the following tools allow you to manage disk partitions?
Medium52A junior admin is confused about the difference between software RAID and hardware RAID. Which of the following is a primary characteristic of software RAID?
Medium53A technician is preparing a presentation on how Linux organizes its filesystem and wants to describe the role of the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard. Which two statements accurately describe the FHS as it applies to mainstream Linux distributions? (Choose two.)
Medium54You need to change the ownership of a file to user 'admin'. Which command is the correct way to do this?
Medium55A help desk technician receives a call from a user who complains that their Linux workstation feels sluggish. The technician wants to see a dynamic, real-time list of processes sorted by CPU usage. Which command should the technician run?
Easy56You are managing a Linux server and need to confirm the IP address assigned to the eth0 interface. Which command is most appropriate on modern distributions?
Medium57A Linux administrator needs to check how much free space remains on each mounted filesystem before deploying a large application. The administrator wants a quick, human-readable summary showing used and available space per mount point. Which command should be used?
Medium58Which THREE of the following files/commands are involved in system startup or services?
Hard59An administrator needs to monitor network traffic in real-time on a specific interface. Which tool is commonly used to capture and display packets?
Hard60A user needs to find all files in the /var/log directory that have been modified in the last 24 hours. Which command will accomplish this?
Medium61A Linux user wants to create a new directory named 'projects' and then move an existing file named 'report.txt' into it. Which two commands will accomplish these tasks? (Choose two.)
Medium62A system administrator wants to check the partition table of a specific disk. Which tool is used for this?
Medium63Which THREE of the following items are typically found in the /etc directory?
Hard64A Linux administrator is reviewing user account files and needs to understand where user information is stored. Which TWO of the following files contain user account details? (Choose two.)
Medium65What is the purpose of the /proc directory in Linux?
Easy66Which TWO commands are commonly used to check network connectivity to a host?
Medium67A small business owner wants to implement a server that allows for long-term support and stability for critical financial applications. Which distribution strategy should they prioritize?
Easy68A technician needs to identify the amount of RAM installed in a server without opening the chassis. Which command provides this information from the command line?
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Frequently asked questions
- What does the The Linux Operating System domain cover on the 010-160 exam?
- Be able to use commands like du, sort, head, fdisk, parted, and chown correctly. The most important thing is to know the exact syntax and options for each task, especially distinguishing between similar commands and understanding environment variable scope.
- How many questions are in this domain?
- This page lists all 68 The Linux Operating System questions in the 010-160 question bank. The actual exam draws from this domain proportionally to its weighting in the official exam blueprint.
- What is the best way to practise this domain?
- Start with a short focused session (10 questions) to identify gaps, then work through explanations. Repeat with a longer session once the weak areas feel solid.
- Can I practise only The Linux Operating System questions?
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