LPIC-1 Devices, Filesystems and FHS Practice Question
A system administrator wants to mount a USB flash drive formatted with the ext4 filesystem. The device is detected as /dev/sdc1. Which command should be used to mount the device to /mnt/usb?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often over-specify the `-t` flag thinking it is required, or confuse the argument order (device vs. mountpoint), leading them to pick D or B instead of the simpler and correct C.
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
✓
mount /dev/sdc1 /mnt/usb
The standard mount syntax is `mount [options] <device> <mountpoint>`. For ext4 filesystems, the kernel auto-detects the type, so the `-t ext4` option is unnecessary. While option D is syntactically valid, it is considered incorrect here because it includes an extraneous `-t ext4` flag; the question expects the simplest and most straightforward command. Option A is incorrect because `-a` mounts all filesystems listed in /etc/fstab, not a specific device. Option B is incorrect because the arguments are reversed (device must come before the mount point). Therefore, the command that correctly mounts /dev/sdc1 to /mnt/usb is `mount /dev/sdc1 /mnt/usb`.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
mount -a /dev/sdc1 /mnt/usb
Why it's wrong here
The -a option is used for mounting all filesystems in fstab, not a single device.
- ✗
mount /mnt/usb /dev/sdc1
Why it's wrong here
The order is wrong; it should be device then mount point.
- ✓
mount /dev/sdc1 /mnt/usb
Why this is correct
Correct syntax.
- ✗
mount -t ext4 /dev/sdc1 /mnt/usb
Why it's wrong here
The -t ext4 is optional as the kernel can auto-detect the filesystem. Although specifying it is not incorrect, Option C is simpler and the most direct correct answer.
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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.