LPIC-1 Devices, Filesystems and FHS Practice Question
A technician is repairing a system and needs to mount the root filesystem from a different disk to /mnt/sysroot. The partition is /dev/sda2 with an ext4 filesystem. Which command should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse the `-o loop` option with mounting a partition, or assume that `-t ext4` is always required, when in fact `mount` auto-detects the filesystem type for common formats like ext4.
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/sda2 /mnt/sysroot
The `mount` command with the device and mount point as arguments automatically detects the filesystem type (e.g., ext4) and mounts the partition at the specified directory. This is the standard way to mount a root filesystem from a different disk for repair purposes.
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 -o loop /dev/sda2 /mnt/sysroot
Why it's wrong here
The -o loop flag treats a regular file as a block device, but /dev/sda2 is already a block device, so loop mounting is unnecessary and fails. Loop is correct when mounting an ISO or disk image file stored on another filesystem.
- ✗
mount -a
Why it's wrong here
mount -a mounts every entry listed in /etc/fstab, so it would not target /dev/sda2 at /mnt/sysroot unless that entry already existed. It is used at boot to activate all configured filesystems, which is the wrong mechanism here.
- ✗
mount -t ext4 /dev/sda2 /mnt
Why it's wrong here
Mounting at /mnt rather than /mnt/sysroot places the filesystem at the wrong mount point, so the repair environment cannot access it where expected. The -t ext4 flag is valid but unnecessary, since mount auto-detects ext4. This syntax would be correct when mounting a filesystem to /mnt itself.
- ✓
mount /dev/sda2 /mnt/sysroot
Why this is correct
Mounting requires the device node and target directory only; ext4 is auto-detected, so no -t flag is needed. This command attaches /dev/sda2 at /mnt/sysroot, satisfying the requirement to mount the root filesystem from a different disk.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
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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.