TestOut Linux Pro Practice Test

How can you verify user account information after making changes?

1. cat /etc/passwd

2. cat /etc/users

3. ls /users

4. getent passwd

The correct answer is: cat /etc/passwd

Verifying user account information after making changes is essential for ensuring that the modifications were successful. The file located at /etc/passwd contains the user account details such as usernames, user IDs, group IDs, home directories, and default shells. By using the command `cat /etc/passwd`, you can display the contents of this file, allowing you to see the current state of user accounts on the system. This method is straightforward and provides direct access to user information. However, it's important to note that this file may not always reflect current user information accurately in environments where directory services are in use, but for many standard Linux setups, it serves as the primary source of user account information. Other options listed would not provide accurate or relevant information. For instance, /etc/users is not a standard file on most Linux distributions, and attempting to access it would likely result in an error. The command `ls /users` would attempt to list a directory named "users" if it exists, which may not contain pertinent user account information. While `getent passwd` is also a valid command that retrieves user account information, it is not the direct file access method that `cat /etc/passwd` uses. Instead, it queries the Name Service Switch