LPIC-1 Administrative Tasks Practice Question
Network Topology
Refer to the exhibit. What is the file permission in numeric mode for /etc/crontab?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse the permissions for /etc/crontab with those for user crontab files (which are stored in /var/spool/cron/ and typically have 600 permissions) or mistakenly think that execute permission is needed for configuration files.
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
✓
644
The /etc/crontab file is a system-wide configuration file for cron jobs. It must be readable by all users to allow cron to read the scheduled tasks, but only writable by root to prevent unauthorized modifications. The standard permission is 644 (owner read/write, group read, others read).
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
644
Why this is correct
rw-r--r-- corresponds to 644.
- ✗
600
Why it's wrong here
600 would be rw-------.
- ✗
444
Why it's wrong here
444 would be r--r--r--.
- ✗
755
Why it's wrong here
755 would be rwxr-xr-x.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
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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.