LFCS Question #513: Real Exam Question with Answer & Explanation

Question

An administrator is looking into a new script they received from a senior executive. In the very first line the administrator notices a #! followed by a file path. This indicates that:

Options

• Athe file at that location was used to make the script.
• Bthis script provides identical functionality as the file at that location.
• Cthis script will self-extract into a file at that location.
• Dthe program at that location will be used to process the script.

Explanation

The #! (shebang) on the first line of a script indicates the interpreter program that the operating system should use to execute the script.

Common mistakes.

• A. The shebang specifies the interpreter for execution, not the tool or file that was used to create the script.
• B. The shebang specifies how to run the script, not that the script provides identical functionality to the specified interpreter program.
• C. The shebang mechanism is for executing a script with a specific interpreter, not for self-extraction of the script into another location.

Concept tested. Shebang interpreter specification

Reference. https://man7.org/linux/man-pages/man7/execve.7.html

No community discussion yet for this question.