LFCS Storage Management Practice Question
After adding a new disk and creating an ext4 filesystem on /dev/sdc1 with mke2fs, the administrator added an entry to /etc/fstab to mount it at /data. However, after reboot, the filesystem is not mounted. Which of the following is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates assume device names like /dev/sdc1 are stable across reboots, but LFCS exams test the understanding that UUIDs or LABELs are required for persistent mounts, especially after adding new disks.
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
✓
The fstab entry uses the device name /dev/sdc1 instead of UUID.
When using device names like /dev/sdc1 in /etc/fstab, the kernel may assign a different device name (e.g., /dev/sdb1) after reboot due to asynchronous device discovery, causing the mount to fail. Using the filesystem's UUID (universally unique identifier) ensures persistent identification regardless of device name changes, which is a best practice for ext4 filesystems created with mke2fs.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
The filesystem superblock was corrupted.
Why it's wrong here
Superblock corruption would cause mount failures regardless of reboot, not specifically after reboot.
- ✗
The filesystem was not formatted correctly.
Why it's wrong here
The mke2fs command would have reported errors if formatting failed.
- ✓
The fstab entry uses the device name /dev/sdc1 instead of UUID.
Why this is correct
Device names can change after reboot; using UUID in fstab prevents this issue.
- ✗
The mount point /data does not exist.
Why it's wrong here
If the mount point didn't exist, the mount command would fail, but the administrator likely created it; also, the issue is after reboot.
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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.