LPIC-1 System Architecture Practice Question
A technician must determine whether a Linux server's CPU supports hardware-assisted virtualization so the host can run KVM guests. The technician needs to inspect the processor flags exposed by the running kernel. Which command should be used?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that a loaded kvm module or a friendly CPU summary tool proves the processor has virtualization extensions, when only the kernel-exposed CPU flags definitively confirm it.
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
✓
cat /proc/cpuinfo
CPU capability flags are exposed by the kernel through the virtual /proc filesystem. Reading /proc/cpuinfo shows the flags line for each logical processor, and the presence of the vendor-specific virtualization flag confirms the hardware supports KVM acceleration. Tools that report loaded modules or kernel build strings describe software state rather than the underlying processor features being investigated.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
lsmod
Why it's wrong here
lsmod lists currently loaded kernel modules and their dependencies, so it can show whether the kvm module is loaded. However, a loaded module reflects software state, not the CPU's hardware capabilities, and the kvm module can load on processors lacking virtualization extensions. It therefore cannot confirm that the silicon itself exposes the required virtualization flag.
- ✗
uname -a
Why it's wrong here
uname -a prints the kernel name, release, version, machine architecture, and other build identifiers. It tells the technician the system is, for example, x86_64, but it never enumerates CPU feature flags. Two machines with identical uname output can differ completely in virtualization support, so this command cannot answer the question about hardware-assisted virtualization capability.
- ✗
lscpu
Why it's wrong here
lscpu summarizes CPU architecture, core counts, sockets, and cache topology in a human-readable table, and recent versions do list virtualization type, but it does not enumerate the raw processor capability flags such as vmx or svm. Because the technician specifically needs to confirm the presence of the hardware virtualization flag exposed by the kernel, this display tool alone does not reliably prove support here.
- ✓
cat /proc/cpuinfo
Why this is correct
The /proc/cpuinfo virtual file is generated by the kernel and reports per-processor details, including the flags line that enumerates capabilities such as vmx on Intel or svm on AMD. Searching that output for the virtualization flag gives definitive evidence that the CPU and kernel expose hardware-assisted virtualization, which is exactly the check the technician needs before enabling KVM guests.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official LPI exam blueprint
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