LPIC-1 Devices, Filesystems and FHS Practice Question
Which THREE commands can be used to display the UUID of a filesystem on a Linux system without superuser privileges? (Choose three.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers assume `dumpe2fs -h` works without root because it only reads metadata, but Linux requires root for direct block device access unless the device file has world-readable permissions (which is rare), while `blkid` and `lsblk -f` leverage cached data to bypass this restriction.
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
✓
file -s /dev/sda1
The `file -s /dev/sda1` command reads the superblock of the specified block device and displays filesystem type information, which typically includes the UUID for filesystems like ext4, XFS, or Btrfs. This works without superuser privileges because it only performs a read-only inspection of the device file's metadata, not requiring any write access or privileged system calls.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
file -s /dev/sda1
Why this is correct
file -s reads filesystem superblock and can display UUID for some filesystems; works without root if device permissions allow.
- ✓
blkid
Why this is correct
blkid can display UUIDs; though it may need root for some devices, it often works for non-root users on accessible devices.
- ✗
dumpe2fs -h
Why it's wrong here
dumpe2fs requires root privileges to read the superblock.
- ✗
findfs UUID=...
Why it's wrong here
findfs requires root to search for filesystems by UUID.
- ✓
lsblk -f
Why this is correct
lsblk -f shows filesystem information including UUID; typically works without root.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This LPIC-1 question is part of Courseiva's 527-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
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.