This EX200 practice question tests your understanding of deploy, configure, and maintain systems. 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.
An administrator needs to ensure that the httpd service starts automatically after a system reboot and is set to start immediately without rebooting. Which command should be used?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "which command"
Why it matters: Tests specific CLI syntax. Recall the exact command and its required context — near-synonyms and partial matches are common distractors.
Clue: "immediately / without restart"
Why it matters: Time or reboot constraint — the correct answer must take effect right away without requiring a reboot or reload.
systemctl set-default httpd
Why wrong: set-default sets the default target, not a service.
systemctl add httpd
Why wrong: systemctl does not have an 'add' subcommand.
systemctl enable --now httpd
Enables the service and starts it immediately.
systemctl start --enable httpd
Why wrong: --enable is not a valid systemctl option.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
systemctl enable --now httpd
Option C is correct because `systemctl enable --now httpd` both creates the necessary symlinks to start the httpd service automatically at boot (enable) and starts the service immediately (--now) without requiring a reboot. This combines two operations into one command, satisfying both requirements in the question.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
systemctl set-default httpd
Why it's wrong here
set-default sets the default target, not a service.
systemctl add httpd
Why it's wrong here
systemctl does not have an 'add' subcommand.
systemctl enable --now httpd
Why this is correct
Enables the service and starts it immediately.
Clue confirmation
The clue words "which command", "immediately / without restart" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
systemctl start --enable httpd
Why it's wrong here
--enable is not a valid systemctl option.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may confuse `systemctl enable` (for boot persistence) with `systemctl start` (for immediate execution), or misremember the `--now` flag as `--enable`, leading them to pick a syntactically invalid option like D or a non-existent subcommand like B.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
systemctl does not have an 'add' subcommand.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, `systemctl enable` creates symbolic links in `/etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/` pointing to the unit file (e.g., `/usr/lib/systemd/system/httpd.service`), which tells systemd to start the service at boot. The `--now` flag triggers an immediate `systemctl start` after enabling, avoiding the need for a separate command. In a real-world scenario, this is critical during initial server setup or after installing a service like httpd to ensure it runs now and persists across reboots without manual intervention.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the EX200 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
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FAQ
Deploy, configure, and maintain systems — This question tests Deploy, configure, and maintain systems — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: systemctl enable --now httpd — Option C is correct because `systemctl enable --now httpd` both creates the necessary symlinks to start the httpd service automatically at boot (enable) and starts the service immediately (--now) without requiring a reboot. This combines two operations into one command, satisfying both requirements in the question.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "which command", "immediately / without restart". Tests specific CLI syntax. Recall the exact command and its required context — near-synonyms and partial matches are common distractors.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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