Shells, Scripting and Data Management →mediumMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

LPIC-1 Shells, Scripting and Data Management Practice Question

A script running as a daemon should perform clean-up operations when it receives SIGTERM. Which command inside the script sets up this behavior?

⚠ Common exam trap

Candidates often confuse signal names with signal numbers or mix up SIGTERM (15, catchable) with SIGKILL (9, uncatchable), or they incorrectly assume the EXIT pseudo-signal is equivalent to SIGTERM, when in fact EXIT triggers on any script termination, not specifically on a SIGTERM request.

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

✓

trap 'cleanup' SIGTERM

The `trap` command in Bash allows a script to catch signals and execute specified commands. The syntax `trap 'cleanup' SIGTERM` registers the `cleanup` function or command to run when the SIGTERM signal (signal 15) is received, which is the standard signal sent by `systemctl stop` or `kill` to request graceful termination of a daemon. This ensures the daemon performs clean-up operations before exiting.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

✗
trap cleanup TERM
Why it's wrong here
Missing quotes; cleanup may be interpreted as variable expansion.
✓
trap 'cleanup' SIGTERM
Why this is correct
Sets a trap for SIGTERM to run the cleanup function.
✗
trap 'cleanup' EXIT
Why it's wrong here
Runs cleanup on any exit, not specifically SIGTERM.
✗
trap "cleanup" 9
Why it's wrong here
Signal 9 is SIGKILL, which cannot be caught or ignored.

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LPIC-1 Shells, Scripting and Data Management Practice Question

Why each option matters

Option-by-option breakdown

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