easyMultiple Choice
XK0-006 Practice Question: A Linux administrator is tasked with adding a new…
A Linux administrator is tasked with adding a new 1TB hard drive to a server. The drive has been partitioned and formatted with ext4, resulting in the device /dev/sdb1. The administrator needs the drive to be mounted persistently at /data. After adding an entry to /etc/fstab, the administrator runs 'mount -a' and sees the error: 'mount: /data: mount point does not exist.' Which of the following should the administrator do first to resolve the issue?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers assume the mount point is automatically created by the system or that the error indicates a filesystem problem, leading them to choose fsck or reformatting instead of the simple directory creation step.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Create the /data directory with mkdir
The error 'mount point does not exist' indicates that the directory /data has not been created on the filesystem. The mount command requires an existing directory to attach the device to. Creating the /data directory with mkdir resolves this, allowing mount -a to succeed.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Run mkfs.ext4 on /dev/sdb1
Why it's wrong here
Creating the mount point directory is the missing step: `mount -a` fails because /data does not yet exist, and mkfs.ext4 only writes a filesystem onto a block device, which /dev/sdb1 already has. Reformatting would destroy existing data. mkfs.ext4 is the right tool when preparing a raw, unformatted partition before its first mount.
- ✗
Reboot the server
Why it's wrong here
Rebooting re-reads /etc/fstab but cannot create the missing mount point, so the same failure recurs. It is tempting because reboots apply persistent configuration, and would be valid after the /data directory exists and fstab is correct, but here the administrator must first create /data with mkdir.
- ✓
Create the /data directory with mkdir
Why this is correct
The error states the mount point does not exist, so /data must exist before fstab can mount /dev/sdb1 there. Creating it with mkdir resolves the immediate failure; the fstab entry itself is already correct and needs no change.
- ✗
Run fsck on /dev/sdb1
Why it's wrong here
Running fsck on /dev/sdb1 checks filesystem integrity, but the error names a missing mount point, not corruption; /data must exist before mount -a can attach anything. fsck is the right first step when a filesystem fails to mount due to metadata damage, not when the directory itself is absent.
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Navigating the Filesystem
Key term
fstab
fstab is a system configuration file in Linux that defines how and where storage devices and partitions are mounted at boot time.
Key term
Linux
Linux is an open-source operating system that manages computer hardware and software, widely used in servers, desktops, and embedded systems.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This XK0-006 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the XK0-006 exam.