LPIC-1 inode exhaustion Practice Question
A system reports 'No space left on device' but 'df -h' shows only 60% usage. Which command would help identify the cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap is that candidates assume 'No space left on device' always means disk space is full, but it can also mean inode exhaustion. The key distinction is to use 'df -i' to check inodes, not 'lsof +L1'.
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
✓
df -i
The 'No space left on device' error can also occur when the filesystem runs out of inodes, even if disk space is not full. The command 'df -i' shows inode usage; if inodes are exhausted, no new files can be created, causing the error. 'lsof +L1' lists deleted open files, which consume disk blocks but not inodes, so it is not the right tool when disk space is only 60% used.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
stat /
Why it's wrong here
stat / shows file status but not inode usage for the filesystem.
- ✗
lsof +L1
Why it's wrong here
lsof +L1 lists deleted open files that occupy disk blocks; it does not help with inode exhaustion.
- ✗
du -sh /
Why it's wrong here
du -sh / shows disk space usage, not inode usage.
- ✓
df -i
Why this is correct
df -i displays inode usage and identifies inode exhaustion as the cause.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every LPIC-1 question from scratch — 527 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
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.