Free LPI 702-100 Actual Exam Questions - Question 5 Discussion
determine the kind of data that is contained in that file?
Good point on D being off. Also, E is just for creating or updating timestamps, so it won’t tell us anything about the file contents. That leaves A as the only practical way to identify the data type. Definitely A.
A. Also, other options either just list metadata (like B) or rely on specific formats (like C). File is designed exactly for this purpose—checking the file content without assumptions.
A vs C? I’d go with A. The tar -t command (option C) only works if the file is a tar archive, which we don’t know for sure. Using file (A) is a safer bet since it looks at the actual data and figures out the file type without assuming anything. Plus, the others are clearly off-topic or just misused commands. So A’s the most straightforward tool to check what kind of file you're dealing with.
Option A is still the best choice here. The file command checks the actual bytes inside the file to figure out its type, so it works no matter what kind of file it is. Options like C only work if the file is a tar archive, which we don’t know yet. Plus, commands like ls or touch just don’t provide info about the file’s content. Since the question is about identifying the data kind inside mybackup, file is made exactly for that purpose.
B doesn’t make sense since it’s just a typo for ls -l, which only shows details like size and date, not content. So that leaves A as the only option that actually checks the file’s data type.
D imo, because whatis just shows brief info about commands, not file content. So it won’t help identify the file type like file does.
Guessing A again, since B just lists file details and doesn’t inspect content, while A directly analyzes the file to tell what kind of data it holds.
It’s A because file directly inspects the file content to identify its type, unlike the others that either list info or assume a specific format, so it’s the most reliable first step here.
Probably A. The file command is made for figuring out what type of data a file holds without assuming anything. C only works if it’s an archive, and that’s not guaranteed here. B just lists info about the file, not the content type, so it’s not useful. D and E don’t make sense at all for this task. Starting with file mybackup is the quickest way to get a clear idea of what you’re dealing with.
A/C? A gives a direct file type, which is handy. C could show archive contents if it is one, but that’s a big if. Better to start with A before assuming it’s an archive.
Maybe D is out since whatis just gives info about commands, not file contents. E is definitely off because touch only changes timestamps or creates empty files. B just lists file details, which doesn’t reveal data type. Between A and C, A makes the most sense because it checks file type without assumptions. C only works if it’s a tar archive, which isn’t guaranteed here. So A should be the best fit to identify the file kind quickly and reliably.
A is simplest and works on any file, no need to assume archive or not.
A/B? The ls -l command (B) just lists details like size and modification date, but it doesn’t tell you what kind of data the file contains. So I’d rule that out. The file command (A) actually inspects the contents and gives you the data type, which fits the question best since it doesn’t specify the file format.
C/D? Tar -t lists archive contents but only works if mybackup is an archive, which isn't confirmed. Whatis just describes commands, not files. So I’d exclude those two for this case.
D imo, whatis just shows a brief description of commands, not file contents. So not useful here to identify file data type.
Not B, because Is -1 just lists files with details, it doesn’t analyze file content. Option A looks better since it identifies the file type regardless of the format.
A/C? File can give a quick idea about the file type, but tar -t lists contents if it's an archive. The question doesn’t clarify if mybackup is an archive or just a data file, so not sure which fits better here. Also, option B says "Is -1" but I think it’s a typo for "ls -l." Without knowing the file format, can we really pick the best utility?