LPIC-1 Devices, Filesystems and FHS Practice Question
Which TWO of the following commands can be used to create a new filesystem on a partition?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse partition management tools (fdisk, parted) with filesystem creation tools (mkfs), or mistakenly think fsck can create a filesystem because it interacts with filesystem metadata.
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
✓
mkfs.ext4
B is correct because `mkfs.ext4` is a specific command that creates an ext4 filesystem on a partition. E is correct because `mkfs` is a generic front-end that can create various filesystem types (e.g., ext4, xfs, btrfs) based on the `-t` option or by invoking filesystem-specific wrappers like `mkfs.ext4`.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
fdisk
Why it's wrong here
fdisk is used for partitioning, not creating filesystems.
- ✓
mkfs.ext4
Why this is correct
mkfs.ext4 directly creates an ext4 filesystem.
- ✗
parted
Why it's wrong here
parted is a partitioning tool, though it can create filesystems with mkpartfs, but not the primary function.
- ✗
fsck
Why it's wrong here
fsck checks and repairs filesystems, does not create them.
- ✓
mkfs
Why this is correct
mkfs can create various filesystem types based on the -t option.
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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.