LPIC-1 Shells, Scripting and Data Management Practice Question
Network Topology
Refer to the exhibit. Why does the cron job fail?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often assume a missing shebang line is the fatal error, but cron actually fails due to the missing execute permission, not the shebang.
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
✓
The script is not executable.
C is correct because cron jobs require the script to be executable (i.e., have the execute permission bit set). If the script is not executable, cron will fail to run it even if the shebang line and PATH are correct. The error typically appears in the cron log or as a silent failure.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The cron job lacks the PATH environment variable.
Why it's wrong here
The cron job specifies the full path to the script.
- ✗
The script is owned by root, but the cron job runs as a different user.
Why it's wrong here
Cron runs as root, matching the owner.
- ✓
The script is not executable.
Why this is correct
The file permissions do not include execute for the owner.
- ✗
The script lacks a shebang line.
Why it's wrong here
A shebang is not required for cron if the script is executable.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 527 original LPIC-1 practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
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.