LFCS Storage Management Practice Question
A junior administrator needs to mount the XFS filesystem on /dev/sdb1 at /srv/files for the current session only, without creating a persistent entry. Which command accomplishes this?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is mixing up mounting a filesystem with persistently configuring it in /etc/fstab or a systemd mount unit.
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
✓
mount -t xfs /dev/sdb1 /srv/files
A one-off mount for the current session is performed with the mount command, specifying the device, the existing mount point, and optionally the filesystem type via -t. No fstab entry is created, so the mount does not survive a reboot. Formatting tools, shell redirection into fstab, and starting nonexistent systemd units do not mount a filesystem for the current session.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
systemctl start srv-files.mount
Why it's wrong here
A systemd mount unit named srv-files.mount must exist and correspond to a configured /etc/fstab entry before systemctl can start it. Without that unit definition, the command fails with 'Unit not found'. It also implies persistence through systemd, contradicting the requirement for a temporary, session-only mount.
- ✓
mount -t xfs /dev/sdb1 /srv/files
Why this is correct
mount attaches the filesystem on /dev/sdb1 at the /srv/files directory for the running session, and -t xfs explicitly selects the XFS driver. Because no entry is added to /etc/fstab, the mount disappears after reboot, matching the 'current session only' requirement. The mount point must already exist as a directory.
- ✗
mount /dev/sdb1 /srv/files >> /etc/fstab
Why it's wrong here
This is syntactically invalid: mount does not write to fstab, and redirecting its output appends error or usage text rather than a mount entry. Even if the shell creates the file, no valid fstab line results, so the filesystem is neither mounted nor persistently configured. It confuses mounting a filesystem with editing the mount table.
- ✗
mkfs.xfs /dev/sdb1 /srv/files
Why it's wrong here
mkfs.xfs creates a new XFS filesystem and would destroy any existing data on /dev/sdb1; the second argument is not a mount point at all. This is a destructive formatting action, not a mount operation, and it leaves /srv/files empty and unmounted. Using it on a device that already holds data would cause data loss.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Linux Foundation exam blueprint
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.