LPIC-1 System Architecture Practice Question
Exhibit
# dmesg | grep -i "sd" [ 1.234567] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] 20971520 512-byte logical blocks: (10.7 GB/10.0 GiB) [ 1.234567] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Write Protect is off [ 1.234567] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Mode Sense: 00 3a 00 00 [ 1.234567] sd 0:0:0:0: [sda] Write cache: enabled, read cache: enabled, doesn't support DPO or FUA [ 1.567890] sd 0:0:0:1: [sdb] 4194304 512-byte logical blocks: (2.15 GB/2.00 GiB) [ 1.567890] sd 0:0:0:1: [sdb] Write Protect is off [ 1.567890] sd 0:0:0:1: [sdb] Mode Sense: 00 3a 00 00 [ 1.567890] sd 0:0:0:1: [sdb] Write cache: enabled, read cache: enabled, doesn't support DPO or FUA
Refer to the exhibit. How many physical disks are detected by the kernel, and what are their sizes?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse binary units (GiB) with decimal units (GB) and incorrectly convert the displayed sizes, or they overlook the second disk (sdb) because they focus only on the first line of output.
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
✓
Two disks: sda 10.0 GiB, sdb 2.00 GiB
The kernel has detected two physical disks: /dev/sda with a capacity of 10.0 GiB and /dev/sdb with a capacity of 2.00 GiB. This is evident from the output of `fdisk -l`, which lists disk devices and their sizes in gibibytes (GiB), a binary-based unit where 1 GiB = 1024^3 bytes. The kernel enumerates SCSI/SATA disks as /dev/sdX, and the output shows exactly two such devices.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Two disks: sda 10.0 GiB, sdb 2.00 GiB
Why this is correct
Correctly matches the output sizes in GiB.
- ✗
Two disks: sda 10.7 GB, sdb 2.15 GB
Why it's wrong here
The output shows 10.0 GiB and 2.00 GiB, not GB. Although marketing sizes may be 10.7 GB and 2.15 GB, the correct values per dmesg are in GiB.
- ✗
Three disks: sda, sdb, and an unknown device
Why it's wrong here
Only two disks are shown.
- ✗
One disk: sda 10.7 GB
Why it's wrong here
Two disks are detected: sda and sdb.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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