LPIC-1 GNU and Unix Commands Practice Question
Exhibit
$ ls -l /dev/disk/by-uuid/ total 0 lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Dec 17 10:00 a1b2c3d4 -> ../../sda1 lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Dec 17 10:00 e5f6g7h8 -> ../../sda2 $ blkid /dev/sda1 /dev/sda1: UUID="a1b2c3d4" TYPE="ext4" $ blkid /dev/sda2 /dev/sda2: UUID="e5f6g7h8" TYPE="ext4" $ cat /etc/fstab UUID=a1b2c3d4 /boot ext4 defaults 0 2 UUID=e5f6g7h8 / ext4 defaults 0 1
Refer to the exhibit. The system fails to boot with an error 'UUID=e5f6g7h8 not found'. Which is the most likely cause?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common mix-up: candidates confuse a missing UUID error with a corrupted filesystem or incorrect fstab entry, but the error occurs before the root filesystem is mounted, making it a kernel/initramfs issue rather than a filesystem or configuration problem.
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 initramfs does not contain the necessary filesystem modules.
The error 'UUID=e5f6g7h8 not found' indicates that the kernel, during early boot, cannot locate a device with that UUID. This typically occurs when the initramfs (initial RAM filesystem) lacks the necessary kernel modules (e.g., for the storage controller or filesystem driver) to access the root device. The initramfs is responsible for loading these modules before mounting the real root filesystem; if it is missing or incomplete, the kernel cannot resolve the UUID and fails to boot.
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 fstab entry for /boot is incorrect.
Why it's wrong here
The error is about the root filesystem UUID.
- ✗
The root filesystem is corrupted.
Why it's wrong here
The error indicates the UUID is not found, not corruption.
- ✓
The initramfs does not contain the necessary filesystem modules.
Why this is correct
If the initramfs lacks the driver for the root filesystem, the UUID cannot be resolved.
- ✗
The disk order changed, so /dev/sda2 is no longer the correct device.
Why it's wrong here
UUIDs are persistent regardless of device order.
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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.