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LPIC-1 Administrative Tasks Practice Question

Exhibit

Refer to the exhibit.

$ systemctl status apache2
● apache2.service - The Apache HTTP Server
   Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/apache2.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
   Active: active (running) since Mon 2023-08-14 10:30:45 UTC; 2h 15min ago
     Docs: man:apache2(8)
 Main PID: 1234 (apache2)
    Tasks: 55 (limit: 4915)
   Memory: 24.5M
   CGroup: /system.slice/apache2.service
           ├─1234 /usr/sbin/apache2 -k start
           ├─1235 /usr/sbin/apache2 -k start
           └─1236 /usr/sbin/apache2 -k start

$ systemctl list-dependencies apache2
apache2.service
● └─network.target
● └─syslog.service

Based on the exhibit, what will happen if the syslog service is stopped?

⚠ Common exam trap

Watch out — candidates often confuse 'Wants' (soft dependency) with 'Requires' (hard dependency), assuming any dependency means the dependent service will be stopped or restarted when the target service changes.

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

✓

Apache2 will continue running because the dependency is a soft dependency

In Linux, services managed by systemd can have dependencies declared as 'Requires' (hard) or 'Wants' (soft). A soft dependency means that the dependent service (Apache2) does not require the target service (syslog) to be running; it will continue to operate even if syslog is stopped. The exhibit likely shows a 'Wants' directive, which does not enforce a strict ordering or runtime requirement.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

✗
Apache2 will be stopped because it depends on syslog
Why it's wrong here
Stopping syslog does not stop Apache2; systemd's Requires= would, but the exhibit shows only After= or Wants= ordering, so Apache2 keeps running. It tempts because Requires= does propagate stops, yet that directive is absent from the unit file shown.
✗
The system will prompt to restart syslog before stopping
Why it's wrong here
systemd never prompts before stopping a unit; stop is non-interactive and proceeds immediately. It tempts because interactive confirmation appears in other init systems or package tools, but systemctl stop simply terminates the service and its cgroup without asking.
✗
Apache2 will be automatically restarted because it requires syslog
Why it's wrong here
Apache2 is not restarted when syslog stops; no dependency in the exhibit triggers a restart, and systemd does not restart dependents on a dependency's failure. It tempts because Requires= can stop dependents, but restart propagation is not a systemd behaviour.
✓
Apache2 will continue running because the dependency is a soft dependency
Why this is correct
Stopping syslog does not halt Apache2 because systemd's `After=` and `Wants=` directives create only ordering and soft dependency relationships, not hard `Requires=` bindings. Apache2 therefore continues running and serving requests; only log delivery via syslog is lost. This satisfies the stem's constraint that the web service remains available.

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LPIC-1 Administrative Tasks Practice Question

Exhibit

Why each option matters

Option-by-option breakdown

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