LPIC-1 System Architecture Practice Question
Which THREE of the following are valid sources to configure GRUB?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse GRUB Legacy files (`menu.lst` or `grub.conf`) with GRUB 2 files, or think `/etc/grub.conf` is a standard GRUB 2 configuration file, when in fact GRUB 2 uses `/etc/default/grub` and `/etc/grub.d/` as sources, with the generated output in `/boot/grub/grub.cfg`.
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
✓
/boot/grub/grub.cfg
Option C, /boot/grub/grub.cfg, is correct because it is the primary GRUB 2 configuration file that grub-mkconfig generates and that GRUB reads at boot time to build the menu. Option D, /etc/default/grub, is correct because it holds user-editable variables such as GRUB_TIMEOUT and GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX that grub-mkconfig sources when regenerating grub.cfg. Option E, /etc/grub.d/, is correct because it contains the executable scripts (e.g., 00_header, 10_linux, 30_os-prober) whose output is assembled by grub-mkconfig into grub.cfg. Option A, /boot/grub/menu.lst, is not a valid GRUB 2 source since menu.lst belongs to the legacy GRUB 1 configuration scheme. Option B, /etc/grub.conf, is likewise a legacy GRUB 1 file (often a symlink to menu.lst on older Red Hat systems) and is not used by GRUB 2.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
/boot/grub/menu.lst
Why it's wrong here
/boot/grub/menu.lst is a legacy GRUB 1 configuration file, not a valid source for GRUB 2, which reads /boot/grub/grub.cfg. It is tempting because menu.lst genuinely configured GRUB Legacy on older distributions, so it would be the correct choice only when administering a pre-GRUB 2 system.
- ✗
/etc/grub.conf
Why it's wrong here
/etc/grub.conf is the Red Hat and CentOS legacy GRUB configuration path; Debian-based systems use /boot/grub/grub.cfg, and GRUB 2 reads /etc/default/grub plus /etc/grub.d scripts. It tempts because it is a genuine GRUB file on some distributions, but not a valid source on the LPIC-1 system in question.
- ✓
/boot/grub/grub.cfg
Why this is correct
/boot/grub/grub.cfg is the generated GRUB 2 configuration file, read directly by GRUB at boot. It satisfies the stem's requirement for a valid configuration source, though it is produced by grub-mkconfig from /etc/default/grub and /etc/grub.d scripts, so manual edits are overwritten on regeneration.
- ✓
/etc/default/grub
Why this is correct
/etc/default/grub holds GRUB 2's user-editable configuration variables, such as GRUB_TIMEOUT and GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX, which update-grub or grub-mkconfig then reads to regenerate /boot/grub/grub.cfg. It is therefore a valid configuration source, satisfying the stem's requirement for a place where GRUB settings are configured.
- ✓
/etc/grub.d/
Why this is correct
/etc/grub.d/ holds executable scripts that grub-mkconfig runs to generate grub.cfg, so it is a legitimate configuration source. Each script emits menu entries or settings, letting administrators add custom boot options without editing generated files directly, satisfying the requirement for valid GRUB configuration sources.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
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