LPIC-1 Administrative Tasks Practice Question
A system administrator wants to ensure that the syslog service starts automatically on boot and is running immediately without a reboot. Which command sequence should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often think they need to use two separate commands (enable and start) in a specific order, but the `--now` flag is a single-command shortcut that systemd provides, and LPI often tests this to see if you know the combined option exists.
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 --now syslog
`systemctl enable --now syslog` combines enabling the service to start automatically on boot and starting it immediately in a single command. The `--now` flag triggers an immediate start after enabling, fulfilling both requirements without needing a reboot.
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 syslog && systemctl enable syslog
Why it's wrong here
Order reversed; start before enable still requires enable separately.
- ✗
systemctl start --enable syslog
Why it's wrong here
Invalid option combination; --enable does not exist.
- ✗
systemctl enable syslog && systemctl start syslog
Why it's wrong here
This works but is not the single-command best practice; enable does not start immediately.
- ✓
systemctl enable --now syslog
Why this is correct
The --now flag enables and starts the service in one step.
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JA
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.