LPIC-1 Devices, Filesystems and FHS Practice Question
A medium-sized company runs a web server on Linux with two 1TB disks in a software RAID1 (mdadm) configuration for the root filesystem and /var. Recently, the /var partition is reporting low disk space. The administrator discovers that old log files are consuming space but should be rotated. However, the logrotate service is not running. After starting logrotate, it fails to rotate some logs because of missing directories. Additionally, the administrator wants to add a third disk (500GB SSD) for additional storage and mount it under /srv/webdata. The disk is new and not partitioned. The server uses systemd and the current /etc/fstab uses UUIDs. What is the correct sequence of steps to add the new disk and ensure it is mounted automatically at boot?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often think they can skip partitioning (Option A) or assume LVM is always better (Option D), but the LPIC-1 exam expects the standard, safe procedure of partitioning, formatting, and using UUIDs in fstab for a new disk.
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
✓
Partition the disk with fdisk, create an ext4 filesystem, create the mount point, mount the filesystem, obtain the UUID, add an entry to /etc/fstab using the UUID, and run mount -a to verify.
It follows the standard procedure for adding a new disk to a Linux system: partition the disk (even if only one partition is needed), create a filesystem, create a mount point, mount it, obtain the UUID (e.g., via blkid), add an entry to /etc/fstab using the UUID for reliable boot-time mounting, and verify with mount -a. This ensures the disk is mounted automatically at boot, independent of device name changes, and aligns with systemd's expectation of UUID-based fstab entries.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Format the disk with ext4, add an entry to /etc/fstab using the device path /dev/sdc with the nofail option, then mount -a.
Why it's wrong here
Using device paths like /dev/sdc is not recommended because they can change; UUID is preferred. The nofail option might hide mount failures during boot.
- ✓
Partition the disk with fdisk, create an ext4 filesystem, create the mount point, mount the filesystem, obtain the UUID, add an entry to /etc/fstab using the UUID, and run mount -a to verify.
Why this is correct
This is the correct, standard procedure.
- ✗
Add the disk to the existing RAID1 array to expand it, then grow the filesystem to use the new space.
Why it's wrong here
Adding a disk to a RAID1 array would make it a 3-disk mirror, which is not the goal; the disk is intended for separate use under /srv/webdata.
- ✗
Initialize the disk as an LVM physical volume, extend the existing volume group, create a logical volume, format it, mount it, and add to /etc/fstab.
Why it's wrong here
The existing storage is RAID1, not LVM. Mixing LVM on top of RAID would be non-standard and not described in the scenario.
Quick reference
RAID Level Comparison
| RAID Level | Min Disks | Fault Tolerance | Read | Write | Usable Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RAID 0 | 2 | None | Excellent | Excellent | 100% |
| RAID 1 | 2 | 1 disk | Good | Moderate | 50% |
| RAID 5 | 3 | 1 disk | Good | Moderate | 67–94% |
| RAID 6 | 4 | 2 disks | Good | Lower | 50–88% |
| RAID 10 | 4 | 1 disk per mirror | Excellent | Good | 50% |
RAID is not a backup strategy — it protects against disk failure but not against accidental deletion, ransomware, or site-level events.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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.