Where Is the New Default BIND Config After an RPM Update?
An administrator recently updated the BIND software package and would like to review the default configuration that shipped with this version. Which of the following files should the administrator review?
Community Votes
58% of anonymous learners picked answer A. Votes are pick records left by other test-takers — they are not the verified answer.
Community Insight
The exam tests whether you know that .rpmnew contains the newly shipped default config, not /etc/named.conf, which is the live config and may still hold old administrator changes.
For the CompTIA Linux+ XK0-005 exam, this question checks RPM configuration file handling. The community consensus is that after a BIND update, the new default configuration is stored in /etc/named.conf.rpmnew, while /etc/named.conf remains the active, possibly customized file.
Choosing C (/etc/named.conf) because it is the standard BIND configuration file. However, after an RPM update, /etc/named.conf is usually the existing active configuration, not necessarily the fresh default packaged with the new version.
Community Discussion (6 comments)
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Expert Analysis
Why the Answer Is Correct
When RPM updates a package and the original configuration file was modified, the new default configuration is saved with a .rpmnew extension, leaving the administrator's customized /etc/named.conf intact. Therefore, to review the default configuration that shipped with the updated BIND package, the administrator should look at /etc/named.conf.rpmnew. This behavior is precisely what comment 1 explains: examining .rpmnew shows the new defaults, and you can compare it with /etc/named.conf to identify changes.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
B (/etc/named.conf.rpmsave) is often a backup of the old configuration that was replaced during the update, not the new default. C (/etc/named.conf) is the active configuration file currently in use, which may still contain custom settings from before the update. D (/etc/bind/bind.conf) is not a standard file path for RPM-based BIND installations; Debian/Ubuntu systems use /etc/bind/named.conf, but the presence of .rpmnew/.rpmsave in the question points to an RPM-based system. Comment 3 incorrectly selects C because it focuses on the typical config location rather than the package-update artifact.
Community Comment Notes
Comment 1 provides the clearest explanation: review /etc/named.conf.rpmnew to see the new defaults, and compare it with /etc/named.conf. Comment 4 highlights a common misunderstanding about .rpmnew vs .rpmsave; .rpmnew contains the new default config, while .rpmsave is a saved copy of the original config that was replaced. Comment 6 mentions Debian's /etc/bind/bind.conf, but that path is not applicable to the RPM-based .rpmnew scenario in this question. The vote split (58 vs 42) shows that many test-takers confuse the active config file with the package's shipped default.
Official Reference
Exam Strategy
When you see .rpmnew or .rpmsave in a question, determine what the package manager did after the update: .rpmnew is the new default, while .rpmsave is a backup of an old config. Do not automatically select the standard config path like /etc/named.conf—read the question carefully to see if it asks for the active config or the shipped default.