LPIC-1 System Architecture Practice Question
A system administrator wants to ensure a service named 'app.service' starts automatically on boot in a systemd-based system. Which command should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse 'start' (immediate activation) with 'enable' (boot-time activation), or mistakenly apply legacy SysV commands like 'chkconfig' or 'update-rc.d' to a systemd environment, which is a common pitfall in LPIC-1 exams.
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
✓
systemctl enable app.service
The correct command is 'systemctl enable app.service' because in systemd-based systems, 'enable' creates the necessary symlinks in the filesystem (typically under /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/) to ensure the service starts automatically at boot. In contrast, 'systemctl start' only activates the service immediately without affecting its boot-time behavior.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
systemctl start app.service
Why it's wrong here
systemctl start launches the unit immediately in the current session only; it does not create the enablement symlink that triggers startup at boot. Starting a service is tempting because it confirms the unit works, and would be correct when the administrator needs the service running now, not persistently.
- ✓
systemctl enable app.service
Why this is correct
systemctl enable creates the symlink from the multi-user.target (or other install target) wants directory to the unit file, so systemd pulls app.service in at boot. Starting it now is separate; enable satisfies the automatic-start-on-boot requirement.
- ✗
chkconfig app.service on
Why it's wrong here
chkconfig controls SysV and Upstart runlevels, not systemd units, so it cannot enable app.service on a systemd host. It is tempting because it configured boot services on older Red Hat systems, and would be correct on a RHEL 6 or earlier machine.
- ✗
update-rc.d app.service enable
Why it's wrong here
update-rc.d manages SysV init scripts, not systemd units, so it cannot register app.service for boot. It is tempting because it enabled services on boot in older Debian systems, and would be correct on a SysV-init host without systemd present.
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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.