Splunk Enterprise Certified Admin Practice Test

Is it true that Universal forwarders in Linux cannot be configured with a GUI?

1. True

2. False

3. Only in certain distributions

4. Only with certain plugins

The correct answer is: True

Universal forwarders are lightweight agents that forward logs and other data to the Splunk indexer for indexing and analysis. They are intended for low-overhead installation and usually run in a headless environment, which means they do not require a graphical user interface (GUI) for configuration. The configuration for a universal forwarder on Linux is typically done using text files, specifically in the `$SPLUNK_HOME/etc/system/local/` directory, where you can edit configuration files like `inputs.conf` and `outputs.conf`. This design aligns with the purpose of universal forwarders, as they are often deployed in environments where system resources are minimal or where a full Splunk deployment isn't necessary. Since they are not meant to run in a GUI-centric way, this makes reliance on command line and configuration files the standard method for setup and management. Other options suggest potential exceptions or different scenarios where a GUI could be applied, but the fundamental characteristic of universal forwarders is that they lack GUI configuration capabilities across the board on Linux systems. Thus, the statement about their inability to be configured through a GUI is indeed true.