This LPIC-1 practice question tests your understanding of gnu and unix commands. Match the stated requirement to the specific cloud service, access model, or configuration option — many options are valid in isolation but not for this scenario. 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.
An administrator needs to copy a directory hierarchy from one server to another over SSH, preserving permissions, ownership, and timestamps. Which command is most appropriate?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "which command"
Why it matters: Tests specific CLI syntax. Recall the exact command and its required context — near-synonyms and partial matches are common distractors.
cp -a /source /mnt/remote
Why wrong: cp works locally, not over SSH without mounting.
tar cf - /source | ssh user@dest "tar xf - -C /target"
Preserves all metadata and works over SSH.
scp -rp /source user@dest:/target
Why wrong: scp preserves timestamps but not ownership or ACLs.
rsync -avz /source user@dest:/target
Why wrong: rsync is good but requires rsync on both ends and may not preserve all metadata without -X and -A.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
tar cf - /source | ssh user@dest "tar xf - -C /target"
Option B is correct because it uses `tar` to create an archive of the source directory, pipes it over SSH, and extracts it on the remote server with `tar xf - -C /target`. This method preserves all file metadata (permissions, ownership, timestamps) because `tar` captures and restores these attributes by default, and the pipe over SSH transfers the raw archive without any transformation. Unlike `scp` or `rsync` (without root privileges), this approach can preserve ownership even when the user is not root, as long as the remote `tar` runs with appropriate privileges.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
cp -a /source /mnt/remote
Why it's wrong here
cp works locally, not over SSH without mounting.
tar cf - /source | ssh user@dest "tar xf - -C /target"
Why this is correct
Preserves all metadata and works over SSH.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "which command" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
scp -rp /source user@dest:/target
Why it's wrong here
scp preserves timestamps but not ownership or ACLs.
rsync -avz /source user@dest:/target
Why it's wrong here
rsync is good but requires rsync on both ends and may not preserve all metadata without -X and -A.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates often choose `rsync -avz` (Option D) because it is commonly used for backups, but they overlook that preserving ownership over SSH requires root privileges and the `--numeric-ids` flag, which is not specified in the option, making `tar` the more reliable choice for this specific requirement.
Detailed technical explanation
The `tar` pipe over SSH works by serializing the entire directory tree into a single byte stream, which is then reconstructed on the remote side. This method is particularly useful for copying large directory hierarchies because it minimizes the number of SSH round trips (unlike `scp` which opens a new channel per file) and can handle special files, hard links, and sparse files correctly. In real-world scenarios, this technique is often used for system migrations or backups where preserving exact ownership (including system users like `root` or `nobody`) is critical, and it works even when the remote user is not root by using `sudo tar` on the remote side.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
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
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FAQ
GNU and Unix Commands — This question tests GNU and Unix Commands — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: tar cf - /source | ssh user@dest "tar xf - -C /target" — Option B is correct because it uses `tar` to create an archive of the source directory, pipes it over SSH, and extracts it on the remote server with `tar xf - -C /target`. This method preserves all file metadata (permissions, ownership, timestamps) because `tar` captures and restores these attributes by default, and the pipe over SSH transfers the raw archive without any transformation. Unlike `scp` or `rsync` (without root privileges), this approach can preserve ownership even when the user is not root, as long as the remote `tar` runs with appropriate privileges.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "which command". Tests specific CLI syntax. Recall the exact command and its required context — near-synonyms and partial matches are common distractors.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
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.
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