LFCS Storage Management Practice Question
A system administrator notices that a new 500GB SSD (/dev/sdb) is not being recognized by the system after installation. The server uses UEFI and GPT partitioning. Which command should the administrator run first to verify that the disk is detected by the kernel?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often jump to `fdisk -l` as the first command, but it requires the device to already be recognized and may produce misleading errors if the disk is not detected, whereas `lsblk` directly shows kernel-level recognition without needing a partition table.
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
✓
lsblk
The `lsblk` command lists all block devices recognized by the kernel, including those without a filesystem or partition table. Since the disk is new and not yet partitioned, `lsblk` will show it if the kernel has detected it, making it the correct first diagnostic step.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
fdisk -l /dev/sdb
Why it's wrong here
`fdisk -l /dev/sdb` is unsuitable for verifying initial kernel detection, especially on a UEFI/GPT system. This command primarily interacts with and displays partition table information, specifically MBR, rather than probing the kernel's device recognition status. If the disk is not detected by the kernel, `fdisk` will likely report an error or fail to access the device. The command is tempting as `fdisk -l` is a common utility for inspecting existing partition tables on disks already recognised by the system, particularly for MBR-partitioned drives.
- ✓
lsblk
Why this is correct
lsblk lists all block devices, including /dev/sdb, and does not require root.
- ✗
cat /proc/cpuinfo
Why it's wrong here
This shows CPU info, not disk detection.
- ✗
lsusb
Why it's wrong here
lsusb lists USB devices, but /dev/sdb may be SATA/SAS, not USB.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
One of 507 original LFCS practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.