This LFCS practice question tests your understanding of storage management. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A Linux administrator needs to view the UUID and filesystem type of all block devices. Which command provides this information?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "which command"
Why it matters: Tests specific CLI syntax. Recall the exact command and its required context — near-synonyms and partial matches are common distractors.
blkid
Correct command.
/proc/partitions
Why wrong: Only major/minor numbers, no UUIDs.
ls -l /dev
Why wrong: Lists device files, no filesystem info.
fdisk -l
Why wrong: Shows partition tables, not UUIDs.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
blkid
The `blkid` command is the correct tool because it directly queries the kernel's block device attributes via the libblkid library, displaying the UUID, filesystem type (e.g., ext4, xfs), and other metadata (like LABEL or PARTUUID) for all block devices. It reads from the `/dev/disk/by-uuid/` symlinks and the kernel's device mapper, making it the standard utility for this specific task.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
blkid
Why this is correct
Correct command.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "which command" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
/proc/partitions
Why it's wrong here
Only major/minor numbers, no UUIDs.
ls -l /dev
Why it's wrong here
Lists device files, no filesystem info.
fdisk -l
Why it's wrong here
Shows partition tables, not UUIDs.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates confuse `fdisk -l` (which shows partition table info) with `blkid` (which shows filesystem metadata), assuming the partition type code (e.g., 0x83) is equivalent to the filesystem type.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
Shows partition tables, not UUIDs.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, `blkid` reads the filesystem superblock (e.g., ext4 superblock at offset 0x400) to extract UUID and type, using libblkid which caches results in `/run/blkid/blkid.tab` for performance. In real-world scenarios, `blkid` is essential for scripting mount operations (e.g., `mount UUID=...`) or identifying filesystems after disk cloning, where partition IDs may not match the actual filesystem.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the LFCS exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
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FAQ
Storage Management — This question tests Storage Management — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: blkid — The `blkid` command is the correct tool because it directly queries the kernel's block device attributes via the libblkid library, displaying the UUID, filesystem type (e.g., ext4, xfs), and other metadata (like LABEL or PARTUUID) for all block devices. It reads from the `/dev/disk/by-uuid/` symlinks and the kernel's device mapper, making it the standard utility for this specific task.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "which command". Tests specific CLI syntax. Recall the exact command and its required context — near-synonyms and partial matches are common distractors.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
This LFCS practice question is part of Courseiva's free Linux Foundation 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 LFCS exam.
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