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
Numeric 644 grants the owner read and write (4+2), group read (4) and others read (4), matching the exhibit's rw-r--r-- permissions on /etc/crontab. This satisfies the requirement to express that file's permission in numeric mode.
- ✗
600
Why it's wrong here
600 removes group and other read access, but /etc/crontab must remain world-readable so that cron and unprivileged users can inspect scheduled jobs. 600 is tempting as the restrictive mode for private root files, yet the exhibit shows read permission for group and others, giving 644.
- ✗
444
Why it's wrong here
444 grants read permission to owner, group and others, but /etc/crontab normally restricts group and other access, so this value is too open. It tempts because 444 is used for world-readable static files, which is the scenario where this mode would apply.
- ✗
755
Why it's wrong here
755 grants write access to the group and execute bits to all, whereas /etc/crontab is owned by root with group root and is not executable. 755 is tempting because it is the common default for directories, but crontab is a configuration file, so the exhibit's permissions map to 644.
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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.