LPIC-1 System Architecture Practice Question
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit. $ systemctl status sshd.service ● sshd.service - OpenSSH Daemon Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/sshd.service; disabled; vendor preset: disabled) Active: inactive (dead)
The administrator wants the sshd service to start automatically at boot. Which command should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse `systemctl start` (immediate, one-time activation) with `systemctl enable` (persistent boot-time activation), leading candidates to choose option A when the question asks for automatic startup at boot.
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
✓
systemctl enable sshd.service
The `systemctl enable sshd.service` command creates the necessary symlinks in the systemd unit configuration directories (e.g., `/etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/`) so that the sshd service is automatically started when the system boots into its default target. This is the correct way to enable a service to start at boot in a systemd-based Linux distribution.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
systemctl start sshd.service
Why it's wrong here
Starting sshd.service launches the daemon only for the current session; it creates no symlink under the target's wants directory, so the service stays inactive after reboot. Enabling sshd.service is what registers it for automatic startup. Starting is the correct action when you need the service running immediately.
- ✗
systemctl daemon-reload
Why it's wrong here
daemon-reload only re-reads unit files after edits; it neither enables nor starts anything. Enabling at boot requires systemctl enable sshd, which creates the symlink in the target's wants directory. daemon-reload is the right step after modifying a unit file, not for configuring autostart.
- ✗
systemctl set-default multi-user.target
Why it's wrong here
Setting the default boot target changes which target unit activates at startup; it does not enable an individual service, so sshd still will not launch. Enabling sshd.service is the required step. This command is genuinely used to switch a system between graphical and multi-user boot modes.
- ✓
systemctl enable sshd.service
Why this is correct
systemctl enable creates the symlink in the multi-user.target.wants directory, so systemd starts sshd automatically during boot. This satisfies the requirement for automatic startup, whereas systemctl start only launches the service for the current session and does not persist across reboots.
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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.