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 fails to mount an XFS filesystem with the entry in /etc/fstab. The entry looks correct. Which fstab field might be missing or incorrect?
The device field
Why wrong: Incorrect: If the device field were missing, it wouldn't mount at all.
The options field
Why wrong: Incorrect: Options can be set to defaults or blank, but if omitted, mount uses defaults.
The mountpoint field
Why wrong: Incorrect: If mountpoint were missing, it wouldn't mount.
The filesystem type field
Correct: If the type is omitted or incorrect (e.g., ext4 instead of xfs), mount may fail.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
The filesystem type field
The XFS filesystem requires the filesystem type field in /etc/fstab to be explicitly set to 'xfs'. If this field is missing or incorrect (e.g., left blank, set to 'auto', or mistyped as 'ext4'), the mount command will fail because it cannot determine the correct filesystem driver to use. Even if the device, mountpoint, and options appear correct, an incorrect or missing type field prevents the kernel from loading the XFS module and mounting the filesystem.
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.
The device field
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: If the device field were missing, it wouldn't mount at all.
The options field
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: Options can be set to defaults or blank, but if omitted, mount uses defaults.
The mountpoint field
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: If mountpoint were missing, it wouldn't mount.
The filesystem type field
Why this is correct
Correct: If the type is omitted or incorrect (e.g., ext4 instead of xfs), mount may fail.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
LPI often tests the misconception that the filesystem type field is optional or can be left as 'auto' for all filesystems, but for XFS (and other non-default filesystems), the type must be explicitly specified because auto-detection may fail or the required kernel module may not be loaded automatically.
Detailed technical explanation
The /etc/fstab filesystem type field is passed to the mount(8) command via the -t option, which tells the kernel which filesystem driver to use (e.g., xfs, ext4, btrfs). For XFS, the kernel module xfs.ko must be loaded; if the type field is 'auto', mount attempts to auto-detect the filesystem using blkid, which can fail if the superblock is corrupted or the filesystem is not recognized. In real-world scenarios, a common mistake is copying an ext4 fstab entry and forgetting to change the type to 'xfs', causing mount to attempt to use the ext4 driver and fail with 'wrong fs type'.
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
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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: The filesystem type field — The XFS filesystem requires the filesystem type field in /etc/fstab to be explicitly set to 'xfs'. If this field is missing or incorrect (e.g., left blank, set to 'auto', or mistyped as 'ext4'), the mount command will fail because it cannot determine the correct filesystem driver to use. Even if the device, mountpoint, and options appear correct, an incorrect or missing type field prevents the kernel from loading the XFS module and mounting the filesystem.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 30, 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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