CompTIA Linux+ (XK0-004) — Question 298

An administrator needs to see a list of the system user's encrypted passwords. Which of the following Linux files does the administrator need to read?

Answer options

• A. /etc/shadow
• B. /etc/skel
• C. /etc/passwd
• D. /etc/pw

Correct answer: A

Explanation

The correct answer is A, /etc/shadow, because it stores the encrypted passwords for user accounts in Linux. The other options, such as /etc/passwd, do contain user information but do not store encrypted passwords, while /etc/skel is a template for new user home directories, and /etc/pw is not a standard file used for password storage.