LPIC-1 Devices, Filesystems and FHS Practice Question
A system administrator notices that a server with an ext4 filesystem fails to boot after editing /etc/fstab. The error message indicates that the root filesystem cannot be mounted. Which of the following is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to think 'auto' is invalid for the root filesystem or that a missing swap entry is critical, but the core issue is always the correct identification of the root device in /etc/fstab.
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 UUID or device name for the root filesystem is incorrect.
If the UUID or device name for the root filesystem in /etc/fstab is incorrect, the kernel cannot locate the root device during boot, resulting in a mount failure. The init process reads /etc/fstab to mount the root filesystem, and any mismatch—such as a typo in the UUID or a stale device path—will cause the system to drop into emergency mode.
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 root filesystem is mounted read-only.
Why it's wrong here
A read-only mount would still succeed; the error indicates a mount failure.
- ✗
The swap partition entry is missing.
Why it's wrong here
Missing swap only affects swap, not root mount.
- ✓
The UUID or device name for the root filesystem is incorrect.
Why this is correct
An incorrect UUID or device path in /etc/fstab prevents the kernel from mounting the root filesystem.
- ✗
The filesystem type is specified as 'auto' instead of 'ext4'.
Why it's wrong here
Specifying 'auto' is acceptable; the kernel will probe the filesystem type.
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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.