LFCS Storage Management Practice Question
Which TWO of the following commands can be used to check and repair an ext4 filesystem?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse filesystem-specific repair tools (like `xfs_repair` for XFS or `btrfs check` for Btrfs) with the generic `fsck` family, or mistakenly think `mkfs.ext4` can repair a filesystem when it actually formats and destroys it.
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
✓
fsck.ext4 /dev/sdb1
A is correct because `fsck.ext4` is the dedicated front-end for checking and repairing ext4 filesystems, invoking the `e2fsck` program with ext4-specific defaults. It performs a full consistency check of the filesystem metadata, including the journal, inode tables, and block bitmaps, and can automatically repair detected issues when run with the `-y` or `-p` options.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
fsck.ext4 /dev/sdb1
Why this is correct
Directly checks and repairs ext4.
- ✗
xfs_repair /dev/sdb1
Why it's wrong here
For XFS.
- ✗
mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdb1
Why it's wrong here
Creates a filesystem, not checks/repairs.
- ✓
e2fsck /dev/sdb1
Why this is correct
e2fsck is the same as fsck.ext4 for ext filesystems.
- ✗
btrfs check /dev/sdb1
Why it's wrong here
For Btrfs.
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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.