This LPIC-1 practice question tests your understanding of gnu and unix commands. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
Exhibit
Filesystem 1K-blocks Used Available Use% Mounted on
/dev/sda1 10485760 9437184 1048576 90% /
/dev/sdb1 20971520 20971520 0 100% /var
Refer to the exhibit. Which file system is full and what is the likely consequence if the administrator does not take action?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
/dev/sdb1 is full; applications writing to /var may fail.
The exhibit shows that /dev/sdb1, mounted on /var, has 0% available space (100% used). The /var directory stores variable data such as logs, spool files, and temporary files. If /var fills up, critical services like syslog, cron, or package managers (e.g., apt, yum) cannot write to their log or spool files, causing applications that depend on /var to fail. This is why option D is correct.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✗
Both are full; system will crash.
Why it's wrong here
Only /var is full.
✗
/dev/sda1 is full; system may become unstable.
Why it's wrong here
/dev/sda1 is at 90%, not full.
✗
Neither is full; available space is sufficient.
Why it's wrong here
/dev/sdb1 has no available space.
✓
/dev/sdb1 is full; applications writing to /var may fail.
Why this is correct
The mount point /var is at 100% usage.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
LPI often tests the misconception that a full root filesystem (/dev/sda1) is the only critical issue, but the trap here is that /var (often a separate partition) can fill up silently, causing application failures without an immediate system crash.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The /var filesystem is critical for system logging via rsyslog or syslog-ng, and for mail spools, print queues, and package manager caches. When /var fills, log rotation (logrotate) may fail, leading to lost diagnostic data, and services like cron may stop executing jobs. In real-world scenarios, a full /var can also prevent SSH logins if pam_lastlog cannot write, or cause database services like MySQL to crash if their data directory resides under /var.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the LPIC-1 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
GNU and Unix Commands — This question tests GNU and Unix Commands — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: /dev/sdb1 is full; applications writing to /var may fail. — The exhibit shows that /dev/sdb1, mounted on /var, has 0% available space (100% used). The /var directory stores variable data such as logs, spool files, and temporary files. If /var fills up, critical services like syslog, cron, or package managers (e.g., apt, yum) cannot write to their log or spool files, causing applications that depend on /var to fail. This is why option D is correct.
What should I do if I get this LPIC-1 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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