Free LPI 102-500 Actual Exam Questions - Question 9 Discussion

No doubt it’s D, 'x' is the classic sign for shadow storage. D

I’d rule out A and B since * and - usually mean locked or no password. C sounds off too, never seen 's' for shadow. So, is it really just D that matches common practice?

D imo, the ‘x’ is the classic marker to show that the actual password hash isn’t in /etc/passwd but moved to /etc/shadow for better security. The other options don’t really serve that purpose. Like, * often shows account disabled, - isn’t typically used there, and s just doesn’t make sense in this context. So D stands out as the clear indicator here.

I’m with option D too, since the 'x' is the convention for shadow password usage. The others don’t indicate password storage location at all. D it is.

Maybe D here too. The ‘x’ in the password field is kind of like a placeholder showing the real encrypted password is stored safely elsewhere—in /etc/shadow. The other options don’t really fit since * and - are more about locking or legacy stuff, and ‘s’ isn’t a thing for this. So, D makes the most sense to me.

Makes sense to rule out A and B since they’re more about account states, not password storage. D fits because ‘x’ is the standard marker for shadow files. So, D.

It’s D again since ‘x’ clearly signals the actual password is hidden in /etc/shadow, unlike * or - which mean disabled or older formats. C’s just not used here.

D vs A? The * usually means a disabled account, not shadowed password storage. The x is the one that points to /etc/shadow for security reasons.

I’d rule out A and C since * usually locks accounts and s isn’t standard here. Between B and D, D matches what I know about common Linux conventions signaling shadow file use. Could B be from an older system?

D. The ‘x’ makes the most sense since it’s the recognized placeholder showing the password is hidden in /etc/shadow. The asterisk (*) locks the account, and the hyphen (-) is mostly legacy or unused these days. The letter ‘s’ doesn’t fit any convention I know for this context. So ‘x’ clearly stands out as the indicator used by current Linux systems.

Guessing D here too. The ‘-’ (B) is mostly outdated and less common, while ‘x’ is the typical marker on modern Linux systems for shadow password storage.

D vs B? The hyphen (B) is used in some older systems but not standard for shadow files. ‘x’ (D) is the go-to for modern Linux to point to /etc/shadow.

D vs A? I’d say D for sure. '*' usually locks the account, not points to shadow file. 'x' is classic for shadow storage indication in Linux.

Maybe D is right here. The ‘x’ character is what I’ve mostly seen in /etc/passwd to point out that the real encrypted password’s actually in /etc/shadow, while ‘*’ usually means the account is locked or has no valid password. The ‘-’ and ‘s’ don’t make much sense for this context. So D fits best as the indicator for shadow file storage.

Probably D, since ‘*’ locks accounts and ‘x’ is the usual shadow placeholder.

Option D, ‘x’ is standard; others don’t represent shadow storage.

Maybe D. The hyphen (B) is rarely used here and ‘s’ (C) doesn’t make sense for this context. ‘x’ is the classic marker showing the password is hidden in /etc/shadow, so D feels right.

Maybe D. The hyphen (B) and s (C) don’t typically show up in this context, and the asterisk (A) is for disabled accounts, so ‘x’ fits best as the shadow file indicator.

D, since ‘*’ usually locks accounts, and ‘x’ is the common shadow password marker.

I agree with the general consensus on this one. The ‘x’ (option D) is definitely the standard placeholder you see in /etc/passwd when the actual encrypted password is stored separately in /etc/shadow. The others don’t really serve that purpose—‘*’ is for disabled accounts and the rest don’t fit this use case at all. So, D makes the most sense here.