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XK0-006 /etc/fstab Practice Question
A Linux administrator needs to mount a new ext4 filesystem on /dev/sdb1 to /mnt/data. The administrator wants the filesystem to be mounted automatically at boot with noatime and with user ownership of files to be preserved (i.e., the filesystem should be owned by a specific user). Which line should be added to /etc/fstab?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common misconception is that the uid= mount option can be used in /etc/fstab to set ownership of the mounted filesystem. In reality, filesystem ownership is set via chown on the mount point or files, not via mount options.
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
✓
/dev/sdb1 /mnt/data ext4 defaults,noatime 0 2
The 'uid=' mount option is not valid for ext4 filesystems; it is used for vfat or NTFS. For ext4, file ownership is stored on disk and preserved automatically. The correct answer is Option A: '/dev/sdb1 /mnt/data ext4 defaults,noatime 0 2'. It uses 'defaults' which includes ownership preservation, and 'noatime' meets the requirement. The value '2' for the pass field is appropriate for non-root filesystems. Option B's 'user' option allows any user to mount, not set ownership. Option D lacks 'noatime' and has an incorrect pass value of 0 for a filesystem that should be checked.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
/dev/sdb1 /mnt/data ext4 defaults,noatime 0 2
Why this is correct
Correct because it uses 'defaults' (which preserves existing ownership) and 'noatime', and the pass value 2 allows periodic checks.
- ✗
LABEL=DATA /mnt/data ext4 noatime,user 0 2
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because the 'user' option allows any user to mount the filesystem, not set a specific user's ownership.
- ✗
UUID=xxxx /mnt/data ext4 defaults,noatime,uid=1000 0 2
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because 'uid=1000' is not a valid mount option for ext4; it is used for vfat/NTFS. For ext4, ownership is preserved automatically.
- ✗
/dev/sdb1 /mnt/data ext4 rw,noatime 0 0
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect because it lacks 'noatime' and uses pass value 0, which disables filesystem checks—inappropriate for a non-root filesystem.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Linux Fundamentals and History
Key term
ext4
ext4 is the default file system for many Linux distributions, designed to store and manage files on a hard drive or SSD with journaling, large volume support, and backward compatibility.
Key term
Value
Value is the perceived worth, benefit, or usefulness that a service, product, or activity delivers to stakeholders, especially customers and the business.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
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