LPIC-1 Devices, Filesystems and FHS Practice Question
A user complains that a filesystem is reporting 'Disk quota exceeded' even though the user has not stored any new files recently. What could be the cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates assume 'Disk quota exceeded' always refers to disk space (blocks), but LPIC-1 tests the distinction between block quotas and inode quotas, and that the same error message applies to both.
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
✓
The user has exceeded the inode quota
Linux filesystems enforce two types of quotas: block quotas (for disk space) and inode quotas (for the number of files and directories). If the user has not stored new files recently but still receives a 'Disk quota exceeded' error, it is likely that they have exceeded their inode quota, meaning they have created too many files or directories (each consuming an inode), even if those files are small or empty. The error message is generic and can refer to either quota type, so the inode limit is the probable cause when no recent data writes have occurred.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Symlinks are counted against the quota
Why it's wrong here
Symlinks consume space but are typically counted under disk usage, not inode quota in some implementations.
- ✗
Hard links are consuming additional inodes
Why it's wrong here
Hard links share the same inode, so they do not consume extra inodes.
- ✓
The user has exceeded the inode quota
Why this is correct
Inode quota limits the number of files, not just disk space.
- ✗
File ownership is misconfigured
Why it's wrong here
Ownership does not affect quota usage.
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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.