LPIC-1 Administrative Tasks Practice Question
An administrator adds the line 'DenyUsers john' to /etc/ssh/sshd_config and restarts the SSH service. What is the effect?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse 'DenyUsers' with broader access restrictions like PAM-based account denial or shell-level bans, but 'DenyUsers' is SSH-specific and only affects SSH logins, not console or other remote access methods.
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
✓
User john cannot log in via SSH.
The 'DenyUsers' directive in /etc/ssh/sshd_config explicitly blocks the specified user(s) from authenticating via SSH. When the SSH service is restarted, the configuration is reloaded, and user 'john' will be denied SSH login attempts at the authentication layer, before any shell or command execution occurs.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
User john cannot log in via SSH.
Why this is correct
This is the intended behavior of the DenyUsers directive.
- ✗
User john can still log in but his commands are logged.
Why it's wrong here
DenyUsers blocks login entirely, not just logging.
- ✗
User john is denied all shell access, including local and console logins.
Why it's wrong here
DenyUsers only affects SSH, not local console or other remote access methods.
- ✗
All users except john cannot log in via SSH.
Why it's wrong here
That would be the effect of AllowUsers, not DenyUsers.
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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.