System Management for CompTIA Linux+

This page covers the System Management domain of the CompTIA Linux+ certification. Master Cybersecurity offers 172 practice questions in this domain, drawn from the same content we use across our timed exam simulations. Below are five sample questions with full answer explanations.

Sample Practice Questions

  1. Question 1

    Which of the following commands will display the operating system?
    1. A. `uname -n`
    2. B. `uname -s`
    3. C. `uname -o`
    4. D. `uname -m`
    Explanation

    The correct answer is: C. `uname -o`.

    The `uname -o` command displays the operating system type. making "`uname -o`" the correct answer.

  2. Question 2

    A user reports they cannot log in via SSH to a CentOS server. You check and find the 'PermitRootLogin' setting is set to 'no' in the SSH configuration. What is the most likely cause?
    1. A. The user's password is incorrect.
    2. B. The user is trying to log in as root.
    3. C. The SSH service is not running.
    4. D. The user's account is locked.
    Explanation

    The correct answer is: B. The user is trying to log in as root..

    If **PermitRootLogin no** is set, root cannot log in via SSH. So the most likely cause when login fails is that **the user is trying to log in as root**. They should log in as a normal user and use sudo. Incorrect password, service down, or locked account would produce different messages or affect other users too.

  3. Question 3

    A user on your Ubuntu server is unable to SSH into a cloud-based instance. You suspect a firewall issue. Which command helps you verify if the SSH port is open?
    1. A. ufw status
    2. B. iptables -L
    3. C. netstat -tuln
    4. D. firewall-cmd --list-all
    Explanation

    The correct answer is: A. ufw status.

    On **Ubuntu**, **ufw status** shows whether UFW is active and lists firewall rules, so you can verify if the SSH port (22) is allowed. iptables -L shows raw rules; netstat -tuln shows listening ports; firewall-cmd is for RHEL/CentOS. Use ufw status or ufw status verbose to confirm SSH is permitted.

  4. Question 4

    Which command can be used to monitor real-time disk I/O on a Linux system?
    1. A. iostat
    2. B. vmstat
    3. C. sar
    4. D. iotop
    Explanation

    The correct answer is: D. iotop.

    **iotop** shows real-time disk I/O per process (similar to top for I/O), which is ideal for monitoring which processes are doing the most disk I/O. iostat and vmstat give system-wide I/O and VM stats; sar collects historical data. iotop requires root and shows live I/O by process.

  5. Question 5

    A Linux administrator wants to find out whether files from the Wget package have been altered since they were installed. Which of the following commands will provide the correct information?
    1. A. `rpm -i wget`
    2. B. `rpm -qf wget`
    3. C. `rpm -F wget`
    4. D. `rpm -V wget`
    Explanation

    The correct answer is: D. `rpm -V wget`.

    The `rpm -V` command is used to verify the integrity and authenticity of installed files from a package. It checks for changes such as file size, permissions, checksums, and more since the package was installed. making "`rpm -V wget`" the correct answer.

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