LPIC-1 Administrative Tasks Practice Question
Exhibit
# /etc/crontab: system-wide crontab SHELL=/bin/sh PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/sbin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin # m h dom mon dow user command 17 * * * * root cd / && run-parts --report /etc/cron.hourly 25 6 * * * root test -x /usr/sbin/anacron || ( cd / && run-parts --report /etc/cron.daily ) 47 6 * * 7 root test -x /usr/sbin/anacron || ( cd / && run-parts --report /etc/cron.weekly ) 52 6 1 * * root test -x /usr/sbin/anacron || ( cd / && run-parts --report /etc/cron.monthly )
Refer to the exhibit. What is the purpose of the 'test -x /usr/sbin/anacron' command in the cron entries?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often assume 'test -x' runs or starts anacron, when in fact it is a conditional check used with '!' to suppress duplicate job execution.
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
✓
It ensures the periodic tasks are not run if anacron is installed.
The 'test -x /usr/sbin/anacron' command checks if the anacron binary exists and is executable. If it is, the test returns true (exit code 0), and the subsequent periodic tasks (e.g., run-parts) are skipped due to the logical NOT operator '!' at the beginning of the cron entry. This prevents duplicate execution of periodic jobs when both cron and anacron are installed, as anacron is designed to handle them for systems that may not be running continuously.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
It checks if anacron is executable and then runs the periodic tasks.
Why it's wrong here
The test command only evaluates whether /usr/sbin/anacron is executable, returning an exit status; it does not run the periodic tasks. Those tasks are invoked by separate anacron commands later in the cron file. The test merely gates whether those entries execute.
- ✗
It starts anacron if it is not already running.
Why it's wrong here
The test command evaluates the executable bit on /usr/sbin/anacron and returns an exit status; it never launches the program. Starting anacron would require executing it directly. The test guards subsequent cron entries so they run only when anacron is present.
- ✓
It ensures the periodic tasks are not run if anacron is installed.
Why this is correct
The `test -x /usr/sbin/anacron` check returns true when the anacron binary exists and is executable, so the following `||` branch runs cron.daily, cron.weekly and cron.hourly only on systems lacking anacron. This prevents duplicate execution of periodic jobs where anacron already schedules them, satisfying the stem's condition of suppressing cron runs when anacron is present.
- ✗
It logs the output of the periodic tasks to a file.
Why it's wrong here
The test command writes nothing to any log; it only returns an exit status based on the file's executable permission. Logging periodic task output is handled by redirection within the cron entries themselves. The test exists to conditionally skip anacron-dependent commands.
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