What will happen if you only use the command 'userdel bsmith'?

The command 'userdel bsmith' is used in Linux systems to delete a user account, specifically the account associated with the username 'bsmith'. When this command is executed, it removes the specified user from the system; however, it does not affect the personal files or directories owned by that user.

As a result, while the user account is deleted, the files that the user created or owned will remain on the system, which ensures that any data associated with that user doesn't get lost simply because the account has been removed. This behavior is significant in systems administration as it prevents accidental loss of important data when managing user accounts.

In contrast, the alternatives that state that the user will be deleted along with all files or that an error message will be shown are inaccuracies pertaining to how the 'userdel' command functions. Additionally, while the command would indeed fail if no username were provided, that’s not applicable here since a username is specified.