LPIC-1 Devices, Filesystems and FHS Practice Question
Exhibit
# /etc/fstab /dev/sda1 /boot ext4 defaults 1 2 /dev/sda2 / ext4 defaults 0 1 /dev/sda3 /home ext4 defaults 0 2 192.168.1.100:/export /mnt/nfs nfs defaults,_netdev 0 0 # mount -a output: mount: /mnt/nfs: can't read superblock
Refer to the exhibit. The 'mount -a' command fails for the NFS mount. What is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
LPI exams frequently test the distinction between local mount point existence and network service availability, tricking candidates into thinking a missing mount point is the cause when the real issue is server-side or network connectivity.
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 NFS server is not exporting the directory or is unreachable.
The 'mount -a' command reads /etc/fstab and attempts to mount all entries. For an NFS mount, the most common failure is that the NFS server is not exporting the specified directory or is unreachable, which causes the mount to fail with an error like 'mount.nfs: access denied by server while mounting' or 'mount.nfs: No route to host'. This is the correct answer because network-based filesystem mounts depend on server availability and export configuration.
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 local mount point /mnt/nfs does not exist.
Why it's wrong here
If the directory didn't exist, the error would be different (mount point does not exist).
- ✗
The filesystem type 'nfs' is not supported by the kernel.
Why it's wrong here
If not supported, the error would be about unknown filesystem type.
- ✓
The NFS server is not exporting the directory or is unreachable.
Why this is correct
The error 'can't read superblock' typically indicates a problem connecting to the NFS server or the export.
- ✗
The 'defaults' option is missing for the NFS entry.
Why it's wrong here
The entry includes 'defaults' (implied) and '_netdev'; missing 'defaults' is not the issue.
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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.