LPIC-1 Administrative Tasks Practice Question
A small business uses a Linux server running CUPS to share a network printer. For several months, all employees could print successfully. Today, an employee in a different subnet reports that printing does not work. The administrator checks the server: cupsd is running, the printer is configured with an IPP URI pointing to the printer's IP address, and the printer is idle. The administrator can ping the printer from the server. The administrator checks the CUPS error log and sees the following line multiple times: 'E [04/Oct/2024:10:15:22 -0400] [Client 5] client-error-not-authorized'. Which of the following actions should the administrator take to resolve the issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse 'client-error-not-authorized' with authentication issues (e.g., missing username/password) or service problems, when it is actually an IP-based access control restriction in CUPS' policy configuration.
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
✓
Add 'Allow from 192.168.2.0/24' to the appropriate policy in /etc/cups/cupsd.conf
The error 'client-error-not-authorized' in CUPS indicates that the client's request was denied due to access control restrictions in cupsd.conf. Since the employee is in a different subnet (e.g., 192.168.2.0/24), the default CUPS policy likely only allows local subnet access. Adding 'Allow from 192.168.2.0/24' to the appropriate policy (e.g., under <Policy default>) grants printing access from that subnet, resolving the authorization failure.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Change the printer's URI from ipp:// to socket://
Why it's wrong here
Changing the protocol is not related to authorization errors.
- ✗
Add the employee's username to the lpadmin group
Why it's wrong here
The lpadmin group is for printer administration, not printing.
- ✗
Restart the cupsd service with 'systemctl restart cupsd'
Why it's wrong here
Restarting does not change access controls.
- ✓
Add 'Allow from 192.168.2.0/24' to the appropriate policy in /etc/cups/cupsd.conf
Why this is correct
This allows printing from the employee's subnet.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This LPIC-1 practice question is part of Courseiva's free LPI 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 LPIC-1 exam.