Operating Systems and System Configuration Flashcards

Which Linux kernel parameter file controls the maximum number of open file descriptors system-wide?

Answer: /proc/sys/fs/file-max

/proc/sys/fs/file-max contains the system-wide maximum number of file descriptors the kernel will allocate.

What is the function of the Windows pagefile.sys?

Answer: Acts as virtual memory by extending RAM to disk

pagefile.sys is the Windows swap file that extends physical RAM by using disk space as virtual memory.

Which command in Linux displays real-time CPU, memory, and process information interactively?

Answer: top

`top` provides a real-time, interactive view of running processes along with CPU and memory usage statistics.

In Windows Server, what does the BCDEdit command-line tool manage?

Answer: Boot Configuration Data store

BCDEdit manages the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) store, allowing administrators to modify boot entries and parameters.

Which Linux signal number is used to gracefully terminate a process, allowing it to clean up?

Answer: SIGTERM (15)

SIGTERM (signal 15) requests a graceful shutdown, giving the process time to clean up resources before exiting.

What is the purpose of SELinux in a Linux environment?

Answer: Provides mandatory access control beyond standard permissions

SELinux (Security-Enhanced Linux) implements mandatory access control (MAC) policies that restrict what processes and users can access, beyond standard DAC permissions.

Which Windows command-line utility converts a FAT or FAT32 volume to NTFS without data loss?

Answer: convert

The `convert` command (e.g., `convert C: /fs:ntfs`) upgrades a FAT/FAT32 volume to NTFS non-destructively.