LPIC-1 Devices, Filesystems and FHS Practice Question
Exhibit
EXT4-fs (sda1): mounted filesystem with ordered data mode. Opts: (null) EXT4-fs error (device sda1): ext4_find_entry: deleted inode referenced: inode #12345 EXT4-fs (sda1): remounting filesystem read-only
Refer to the exhibit. The system logs show the above messages. What is the most likely cause and the correct first action?
⚠ Common exam trap
Test-takers frequently confuse filesystem corruption with a full filesystem or a hardware failure, but the specific I/O error messages in the logs point to corruption, not capacity or device unresponsiveness.
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
✓
Filesystem corruption occurred; unmount and run fsck.
The kernel log messages indicate a filesystem I/O error (e.g., 'EXT4-fs error (device sda1)') which typically points to filesystem corruption. Running fsck on the unmounted filesystem is the correct first action to repair the metadata and recover the filesystem. Option B is correct because fsck is the standard tool for checking and repairing filesystem inconsistencies.
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 filesystem is read-only; remount with 'mount -o remount,rw /'.
Why it's wrong here
Remounting rw without fixing corruption may worsen the problem.
- ✓
Filesystem corruption occurred; unmount and run fsck.
Why this is correct
The error indicates corruption; fsck should be run offline.
- ✗
The device is unresponsive; replace the disk.
Why it's wrong here
The device is responsive; the filesystem is consistent but corrupted.
- ✗
The filesystem is full; delete unnecessary files.
Why it's wrong here
The error is about a deleted inode, not full filesystem.
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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.