Which of the following tasks can the date command accomplish? (Choose two.)

Question

Options

• ASet the system's date and time.
• BSet the system's date but not the time.
• CCalculate the time span between two dates.
• DPrint a calendar for a month or a year.
• EDisplay time in a specific format.

• A
  83% (20)
• B
  8% (2)
• C
  4% (1)
• D
  4% (1)

Explanation

A is correct because the date command can both display and set the system's date and time (with root privileges), making "set date but not time" (B) a false restriction - it handles both together or either component.

E is correct because date accepts format strings (e.g., date "+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S") to display time in virtually any format you specify.

B is wrong because date sets date and time as a unit; there's no artificial restriction to date-only.

C is wrong because date has no built-in span-calculation feature - computing differences between two dates requires scripting arithmetic or separate tools like dateutils.

D is wrong because printing calendars is the job of the cal (or ncal) command, not date.

Memory tip: Think of date as having two jobs - display (with custom formats) and set (date + time). If a task sounds like it belongs to a calendar app (cal) or a calculator, it's not date.

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