LPIC-1 Devices, Filesystems and FHS Practice Question
Network Topology
Refer to the exhibit. After adding a new disk to the system, the device /dev/sdb appears. However, the administrator cannot create partitions on /dev/sdb using fdisk. What is the most likely reason?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently assume a disk cannot be partitioned because it is mounted (Option B), but the real blocker is LVM's exclusive claim on the disk, which `fdisk` detects and refuses to overwrite.
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 disk is currently in use as a physical volume for LVM.
When a disk is in use as a physical volume (PV) for LVM, it is already claimed by the LVM subsystem. The `fdisk` utility cannot modify the partition table of a disk that is part of an LVM volume group because the kernel holds the device open and LVM metadata occupies the disk. The administrator must first remove the disk from LVM using `pvremove` before partitioning.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
The disk is currently in use as a physical volume for LVM.
Why this is correct
Active LVM physical volumes cannot be partitioned with fdisk; the PV must be removed first.
- ✗
The disk is mounted and cannot be partitioned.
Why it's wrong here
Even if mounted, fdisk can still modify the partition table (though it may warn).
- ✗
The disk does not have a valid partition table.
Why it's wrong here
fdisk can create a new partition table on a disk without one.
- ✗
The kernel does not support the disk's interface.
Why it's wrong here
The device exists, so the kernel supports it.
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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.