This LPIC-1 practice question tests your understanding of administrative tasks. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
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?
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.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates 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.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
CUPS uses policy-based access control in cupsd.conf, where each policy (e.g., default, authenticated) defines Allow/Deny directives based on IP addresses or hostnames. The 'client-error-not-authorized' is an HTTP 401 equivalent, triggered when a request does not match any Allow rule. In multi-subnet environments, administrators must explicitly add remote subnets to the policy, as CUPS defaults to localhost-only or local subnet access for security.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A junior network technician can log in to a core router but cannot reach the enable prompt or configuration mode. The AAA server is authenticating the login — but the authorisation policy only grants privilege level 1, not 15. Authentication (who you are) is working; authorisation (what you can do) is not.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Administrative Tasks — This question tests Administrative Tasks — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: 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.
What should I do if I get this LPIC-1 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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