This LPIC-1 practice question tests your understanding of devices, filesystems and fhs. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. 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.
Which TWO of the following are valid methods to specify a partition in /etc/fstab?
PARTUUID
Why wrong: PARTUUID is a partition table UUID, less commonly used in /etc/fstab.
UUID
UUID (Universally Unique Identifier) is a standard way to identify partitions.
LABEL
LABEL (filesystem label) is another standard method.
DEVPATH
Why wrong: DEVPATH is not a standard identifier for /etc/fstab.
ID
Why wrong: ID alone is ambiguous; /dev/disk/by-id could be used, but not directly as 'ID'.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
UUID
UUID and LABEL are both valid identifiers for partitions in /etc/fstab. UUID uses the filesystem's universally unique identifier, while LABEL uses a human-readable name assigned to the filesystem. Both are persistent across reboots and preferred over device names like /dev/sda1, which can change.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
PARTUUID
Why it's wrong here
PARTUUID is a partition table UUID, less commonly used in /etc/fstab.
UUID
Why this is correct
UUID (Universally Unique Identifier) is a standard way to identify partitions.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
LABEL
Why this is correct
LABEL (filesystem label) is another standard method.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
DEVPATH
Why it's wrong here
DEVPATH is not a standard identifier for /etc/fstab.
ID
Why it's wrong here
ID alone is ambiguous; /dev/disk/by-id could be used, but not directly as 'ID'.
Common exam traps
The trap here is that candidates may confuse PARTUUID (a partition table identifier) with UUID (a filesystem identifier), or assume any udev property like DEVPATH or ID is valid in fstab, when only UUID, LABEL, and device paths are supported.
Detailed technical explanation
Under the hood, /etc/fstab is parsed by mount(8) and systemd-fstab-generator. The kernel and mount utilities resolve UUID and LABEL via blkid(8) and the /dev/disk/by-uuid/ and /dev/disk/by-label/ symlinks. A real-world scenario: using LABEL='MyData' allows easy identification on removable drives, but UUID is more reliable for internal disks to avoid collisions.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
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FAQ
Devices, Filesystems and FHS — This question tests Devices, Filesystems and FHS — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: UUID — UUID and LABEL are both valid identifiers for partitions in /etc/fstab. UUID uses the filesystem's universally unique identifier, while LABEL uses a human-readable name assigned to the filesystem. Both are persistent across reboots and preferred over device names like /dev/sda1, which can change.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
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.
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