This LPIC-2 practice question tests your understanding of file sharing and samba. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Exhibit
Refer to the exhibit.
Output from smbstatus:
Locked files:
Pid DenyMode Access R/W Oplock SharePath Name
1234 DENY_WRITE RDONLY RDONLY NONE /srv/samba/share report.doc
Service pid machine user connected_at
share 1234 192.168.1.10 alice Thu Jan 25 10:30:00 2024
A user 'bob' is unable to save changes to report.doc. Based on the exhibit, what is the most likely reason?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
Refer to the exhibit.
Output from smbstatus:
Locked files:
Pid DenyMode Access R/W Oplock SharePath Name
1234 DENY_WRITE RDONLY RDONLY NONE /srv/samba/share report.doc
Service pid machine user connected_at
share 1234 192.168.1.10 alice Thu Jan 25 10:30:00 2024
A
The oplock is set to NONE causing conflicts.
Why wrong: NONE means no oplock, not causing conflict; lock is explicit.
B
Bob does not have permission on the filesystem.
Why wrong: The issue is a lock, not filesystem permissions.
C
Alice has the file open with a deny-write lock.
DENY_WRITE mode prevents other users from opening the file with write access.
D
The share is configured as read-only.
Why wrong: No information about share read-only; the lock is per-file.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Alice has the file open with a deny-write lock.
Option C is correct because the exhibit shows that Alice has the file open with a deny-write lock, which prevents any other user (including Bob) from writing to the file. In Samba, this is enforced by the share mode locking mechanism, where a deny-write share access request from Alice blocks subsequent write attempts by Bob until Alice closes the file.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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 oplock is set to NONE causing conflicts.
Why it's wrong here
NONE means no oplock, not causing conflict; lock is explicit.
✗
Bob does not have permission on the filesystem.
Why it's wrong here
The issue is a lock, not filesystem permissions.
✓
Alice has the file open with a deny-write lock.
Why this is correct
DENY_WRITE mode prevents other users from opening the file with write access.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The share is configured as read-only.
Why it's wrong here
No information about share read-only; the lock is per-file.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse filesystem permissions (like chmod or ACLs) with SMB share-level locks, assuming a permission error when the real issue is a file lock held by another user.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Samba uses share modes and locking (via the 'share modes' parameter and kernel oplocks) to manage concurrent access to files on a CIFS/SMB share. When a client opens a file with a deny-write mode, Samba records this in its internal locking table, and any subsequent open request with write access from another client is denied with an 'access denied' error. This behavior is defined in the SMB protocol (MS-SMB2) and is critical for data consistency in multi-user environments, such as when a user edits a document in Microsoft Office while others attempt to modify it.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A security administrator must allow nursing staff to reach a patient records server while blocking access from the guest Wi-Fi VLAN. After applying an extended ACL, traffic is still blocked from nursing workstations. The ACL was applied outbound instead of inbound on the wrong interface. Questions like this test ACL direction and placement rules.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
File Sharing and Samba — This question tests File Sharing and Samba — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Alice has the file open with a deny-write lock. — Option C is correct because the exhibit shows that Alice has the file open with a deny-write lock, which prevents any other user (including Bob) from writing to the file. In Samba, this is enforced by the share mode locking mechanism, where a deny-write share access request from Alice blocks subsequent write attempts by Bob until Alice closes the file.
What should I do if I get this LPIC-2 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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