LPIC-1 Devices, Filesystems and FHS Practice Question
This LPIC-1 practice question tests your understanding of devices, filesystems and fhs. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. 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 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?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
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.
Option C is correct because 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.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
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.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
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.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates may 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.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under the hood, the kernel uses the root= parameter from the bootloader (e.g., GRUB) to initially mount the root filesystem, but later remounts it based on /etc/fstab. If the fstab entry has an incorrect UUID, the systemd or sysvinit process will fail to remount the root with the desired options, leading to a panic or emergency shell. A real-world scenario is when a disk is replaced or repartitioned, changing the UUID, and the administrator forgets to update /etc/fstab accordingly.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Devices, Filesystems and FHS — This question tests Devices, Filesystems and FHS — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: The UUID or device name for the root filesystem is incorrect. — Option C is correct because 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.
What should I do if I get this LPIC-1 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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