LPIC-1 fsck Practice Question
Which TWO utilities can be used to check and repair an XFS filesystem?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates may mistakenly think that xfs_check is a repair tool because of its name, or that only xfs_repair is needed. However, fsck is also acceptable as it leverages xfs_repair for XFS.
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
✓
fsck
The fsck utility is a frontend that calls filesystem-specific checkers; for XFS, it invokes xfs_repair, which can both check and repair the filesystem. xfs_repair is the dedicated XFS repair tool. xfs_check is a read-only consistency checker and does not perform repairs, so it is not suitable for the 'repair' part of the question. The correct pair for checking and repairing an XFS filesystem are fsck (which invokes xfs_repair) and xfs_repair itself.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
e2fsck
Why it's wrong here
e2fsck is for ext2/ext3/ext4 filesystems, not XFS.
- ✓
fsck
Why this is correct
fsck correctly invokes xfs_repair for XFS filesystems, making it a valid tool for checking and repairing.
- ✓
xfs_repair
Why this is correct
xfs_repair is the dedicated tool for checking and repairing XFS filesystems.
- ✗
xfs_check
Why it's wrong here
xfs_check only performs read-only consistency checks and cannot repair, so it does not fulfill the 'repair' requirement.
- ✗
btrfs check
Why it's wrong here
btrfs check is for Btrfs filesystems, not XFS.
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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.