CCNA Installation Packages Questions — Page 2 of 2

MCQeasy

Refer to the exhibit. An administrator wants to verify the integrity of the kernel-core package by checking its signature. Which command is used?

A.`rpm -qa kernel-core`

B.`rpm -q --changelog kernel-core`

C.`rpm -K kernel-core`

D.`rpm -V kernel-core`

AnswerC

Checks the package signature.

Why this answer

`rpm -K` (or `rpm --checksig`) is the command used to verify the GPG signature of an RPM package, ensuring its integrity and authenticity. This checks the package's cryptographic signature against the imported GPG key, confirming it has not been tampered with.

Exam trap

The trap here is confusing `rpm -V` (verify installed files) with `rpm -K` (verify package signature), as both involve 'verification' but operate on different targets and use different mechanisms.

How to eliminate wrong answers

Option A is wrong because `rpm -qa kernel-core` lists all installed packages matching the name 'kernel-core', but does not verify any signature. Option B is wrong because `rpm -q --changelog kernel-core` displays the changelog of the installed package, which is unrelated to signature verification. Option D is wrong because `rpm -V kernel-core` verifies the installed files' attributes (size, permissions, checksums) against the RPM database, but does not check the package's cryptographic signature.

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MCQmedium

A user compiling software from source successfully runs './configure' and 'make', but the resulting binaries are not in the PATH. Which command should be run to install them system-wide?

A.make

B.make all

C.make clean

D.make install

AnswerD

make install places compiled files in the appropriate system locations.

Why this answer

The 'make install' command copies binaries to standard directories (e.g., /usr/local/bin). 'make' only compiles, 'make all' is default, 'make clean' removes temporary files.

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MCQmedium

An administrator wants to prevent a specific package from being upgraded during routine system updates. Which command marks the package as held back?

A.apt-get hold package

B.apt-mark hold package

C.dpkg --hold package

D.echo 'package hold' | dpkg --set-selections

AnswerB

apt-mark hold is the standard command to prevent package upgrades.

Why this answer

`apt-mark hold package` is the standard command in Debian-based systems to mark a package as held back, preventing it from being upgraded during `apt-get upgrade` or `apt upgrade`. This command modifies the package selection state in the dpkg database, ensuring the package version remains unchanged until explicitly unheld.

Exam trap

The trap here is that candidates confuse `apt-get` subcommands with `apt-mark` functionality, or incorrectly recall the `dpkg --set-selections` syntax, leading them to choose a non-existent or malformed command.

How to eliminate wrong answers

Option A is wrong because `apt-get hold package` is not a valid command; `apt-get` does not have a `hold` subcommand—this is a common confusion with `apt-mark`. Option C is wrong because `dpkg --hold package` is not a valid dpkg option; dpkg uses `--set-selections` to manage hold states, not a direct `--hold` flag. Option D is wrong because the syntax `echo 'package hold' | dpkg --set-selections` is incorrect; the correct format for `dpkg --set-selections` is `package hold` (with the word 'hold' as the second field), but the command shown uses a pipe and the echo string is malformed (it should be `echo 'package hold'` without quotes around the whole string in practice, though the core issue is that the option is not the standard method—`apt-mark hold` is the preferred tool for this task).

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MCQmedium

Refer to the exhibit. A new installation requires the root filesystem to be placed on LVM. Based on the current disk layout, which partition is most suitable for use as an LVM physical volume?

A./dev/sda3

B./dev/sda2

C.A new partition must be created.

D./dev/sda1

AnswerB

It is type 8e (Linux LVM) and large enough.

Why this answer

(/dev/sda2) is correct because it is the only partition with the Linux LVM system ID (8e) in the exhibit, which is required for a partition to be used as an LVM physical volume. The extended partition /dev/sda2 contains the logical drives, but the system ID 8e on /dev/sda2 itself indicates it is designated for LVM, making it suitable for pvcreate.

Exam trap

The trap here is that candidates may assume any partition within an extended partition (like /dev/sda3) can be used for LVM, but the system ID must be explicitly set to 8e, and the extended partition itself (/dev/sda2) can be the physical volume if it has the correct flag.

How to eliminate wrong answers

Option A is wrong because /dev/sda3 is a logical drive within the extended partition, but its system ID is 83 (Linux native), not 8e (LVM), so it cannot be used directly as an LVM physical volume without changing its type. Option C is wrong because a new partition is not necessary; /dev/sda2 already exists with the correct LVM system ID and can be used. Option D is wrong because /dev/sda1 has system ID 83 (Linux native) and is typically used for /boot, not for LVM, and lacks the 8e flag.

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MCQmedium

A system administrator installs a new RPM package, but it fails due to a missing library dependency. Which command can best identify the specific dependency that is missing?

A.yum deplist

B.rpm -qlp

C.rpm -qa

D.rpm -qpR

AnswerD

This queries a package file for its requires (dependencies).

Why this answer

The correct command is `rpm -qpR`. The `-q` flag queries the RPM database, `-p` specifies a package file (not an installed package), and `-R` lists all capabilities (including shared libraries) that the package requires. This directly shows the missing dependency by name, such as `libfoo.so.1`.

The other options either list installed packages, query files within a package, or use a higher-level tool that may not pinpoint the exact missing library.

Exam trap

The trap here is that candidates often confuse `rpm -qlp` (list files) with `rpm -qpR` (list requirements), or they assume `yum deplist` is the best tool for a local RPM file, but `yum` requires network access and repository metadata, while `rpm` works directly on the file.

How to eliminate wrong answers

Option A is wrong because `yum deplist` shows dependencies for a package but uses the YUM repository metadata, not the RPM package file itself, and may not reveal the exact missing library if the repository is incomplete or the package is local. Option B is wrong because `rpm -qlp` lists the files that would be installed by the package, not the dependencies it requires. Option C is wrong because `rpm -qa` lists all installed packages, which is irrelevant for diagnosing a missing dependency from a new package.

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MCQhard

Refer to the exhibit. A system administrator checks the integrity of the passwd package on a CentOS 7 system using rpm -V. Based on the output, what is the most likely cause of the 'missing' line?

A.The package was updated to a newer version that no longer includes this file.

B.The file /etc/security/passwd was modified after installation.

C.The package was not installed completely.

D.The file /etc/security/passwd was deleted from the filesystem.

AnswerD

The 'missing' attribute indicates the file is not present on disk.

Why this answer

The 'missing' line in the rpm -V output indicates that the file /etc/security/passwd is not present on the filesystem. Since rpm -V verifies file attributes and existence against the RPM database, a missing file means it was deleted after installation. Option D correctly identifies this as the most likely cause.

Exam trap

The trap here is that candidates may confuse 'missing' with 'modified' or think an incomplete installation would cause a single missing file, but rpm -V specifically distinguishes between missing files (deleted) and modified files (changed attributes).

How to eliminate wrong answers

Option A is wrong because if the package were updated to a newer version that no longer includes this file, the file would be removed during the update and rpm -V would not report it as missing (the RPM database would reflect the new package contents). Option B is wrong because a modified file would show a '5' (MD5 checksum change) or other attribute change in the output, not a 'missing' indicator. Option C is wrong because an incomplete installation would likely cause multiple missing files or other verification errors, and the RPM database would not have recorded the file as part of the package if it were never installed.

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MCQhard

An administrator suspects that a critical system file has been modified after installation. Which command can be used to verify the integrity of all installed RPM packages on a RHEL system?

A.`rpm -K`

B.`rpm --verify`

C.`rpm -V all`

D.`rpm -Va`

AnswerD

Verifies all installed packages against RPM database.

Why this answer

(`rpm -Va`) is correct because it verifies all installed RPM packages against their original metadata, checking file sizes, permissions, checksums, and other attributes. The `-V` flag triggers verification, and `-a` applies it to every installed package, making it the proper command to detect modifications to critical system files.

Exam trap

The trap here is that candidates confuse `rpm -K` (key verification of package files) with `rpm -V` (verification of installed packages), or assume `--verify` alone works without the `-a` flag to target all packages.

How to eliminate wrong answers

Option A is wrong because `rpm -K` checks the GPG signature and digest of an RPM package file (not installed packages) to verify its authenticity and integrity before installation, not to detect post-installation modifications. Option B is wrong because `rpm --verify` is a valid syntax but is incomplete; it requires a package name or `-a` to act on all packages, so without `-a` it does not verify all installed packages. Option C is wrong because `rpm -V all` is invalid syntax; `-V` expects a package name or the `-a` flag, and `all` is not a recognized argument, causing an error.

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