This LPIC-1 practice question tests your understanding of devices, filesystems and fhs. 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 system has multiple disk partitions. The administrator wants to view the UUID of a specific partition for use in /etc/fstab. Which command will display the UUID?
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 /dev/sda1
blkid displays UUID and other attributes of the specified device.
fdisk -l /dev/sda1
Why wrong: fdisk -l shows partition table, not UUID.
lsblk -f
Why wrong: lsblk -f shows filesystem type and UUID for all devices, but requires parsing; blkid is more direct for a specific device.
cat /proc/partitions
Why wrong: /proc/partitions lists partition numbers and sizes, not UUID.
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 /dev/sda1
The `blkid` command queries the libblkid library to display block device attributes, including the UUID and filesystem type. Running `blkid /dev/sda1` outputs the UUID for that specific partition, which can be directly copied into /etc/fstab for persistent mounting.
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 /dev/sda1
Why this is correct
blkid displays UUID and other attributes of the specified device.
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.
fdisk -l /dev/sda1
Why it's wrong here
fdisk -l shows partition table, not UUID.
lsblk -f
Why it's wrong here
lsblk -f shows filesystem type and UUID for all devices, but requires parsing; blkid is more direct for a specific device.
cat /proc/partitions
Why it's wrong here
/proc/partitions lists partition numbers and sizes, not UUID.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may confuse `lsblk -f` (which shows all UUIDs in a tree format) as the command for a specific partition, or think `fdisk -l` displays UUIDs, when in fact `blkid` is the dedicated tool for querying a single partition's UUID.
Trap categories for this question
Command / output trap
fdisk -l shows partition table, not UUID.
Detailed technical explanation
The `blkid` command reads the superblock of a filesystem to extract metadata such as UUID, LABEL, and TYPE. UUIDs are stored in the filesystem superblock (e.g., ext4 stores it in the superblock at offset 0x468) and are used by the kernel to uniquely identify partitions, avoiding reliance on device names that can change (e.g., after adding/removing disks). In real-world scenarios, using UUIDs in /etc/fstab ensures mounts survive kernel reordering or hardware changes.
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 LPIC-1 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
Devices, Filesystems and FHS — This question tests Devices, Filesystems and FHS — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: blkid /dev/sda1 — The `blkid` command queries the libblkid library to display block device attributes, including the UUID and filesystem type. Running `blkid /dev/sda1` outputs the UUID for that specific partition, which can be directly copied into /etc/fstab for persistent mounting.
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 LPIC-1 practice question is part of Courseiva's free LPI 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 LPIC-1 exam.
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