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LPIC-2 Network Client Management Practice Question

Which THREE files are commonly involved in configuring a Linux client for LDAP authentication?

⚠ Common exam trap

Watch out — candidates often confuse /etc/resolv.conf or /etc/hosts as being part of LDAP client configuration, but these files handle network resolution, not authentication or identity lookup configuration.

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

✓

/etc/pam.d/system-auth

/etc/pam.d/system-auth (or its equivalent, such as /etc/pam.d/common-auth on Debian-based systems) is the central PAM configuration file that defines authentication modules. For LDAP authentication, the pam_ldap module is typically stacked here to allow LDAP-based user credential verification, making it essential for integrating LDAP into the system's authentication flow.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

✗
/etc/hosts
Why it's wrong here
Static hostname resolution, not used for LDAP authentication.
✗
/etc/resolv.conf
Why it's wrong here
DNS configuration, not directly used for LDAP authentication.
✓
/etc/pam.d/system-auth
Why this is correct
PAM configuration file that includes pam_ldap or pam_krb5.
✓
/etc/ldap.conf
Why this is correct
Contains LDAP server URI, base DN, etc.
✓
/etc/nsswitch.conf
Why this is correct
Defines order of LDAP for passwd, group, etc.

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LPIC-2 Network Client Management Practice Question

Why each option matters

Option-by-option breakdown

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