LPIC-1 Devices, Filesystems and FHS Practice Question
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.
You are a system administrator at a hosting company. A customer reports that their website hosted on a shared LAMP server is returning error 500. The server runs Ubuntu 22.04 with Apache, MySQL, and PHP. You log in and find that the /var partition (on /dev/sda3, ext4) is almost full. You identify that the MySQL database directory /var/lib/mysql contains several large binary logs that are no longer needed. You delete the binary logs using 'rm -f /var/lib/mysql/mysql-bin.*'. However, the available space does not increase. You also notice that an inode leak is suspected. You check inode usage with 'df -i' and see that the partition has plenty of free inodes. You then check with 'lsof | grep deleted' and see several entries for mysqld holding deleted files. What is the correct procedure to free the space?
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Restart the MySQL service with 'systemctl restart mysql'.
When a file is deleted while a process (like mysqld) still holds an open file descriptor to it, the file's inode remains allocated and the disk space is not freed until the process releases the descriptor. Restarting the MySQL service (systemctl restart mysql) causes mysqld to close all open file descriptors, allowing the kernel to release the deleted binary logs' inodes and reclaim the disk space.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
Restart the MySQL service with 'systemctl restart mysql'.
Why this is correct
Restarting MySQL closes all open file handles, allowing the kernel to release the disk space occupied by deleted files.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
Use 'dpkg --purge mysql-server' to completely remove MySQL, then reinstall it.
Why it's wrong here
This is drastic and unnecessary; you just need to restart MySQL to release file handles.
✗
Run 'e2fsck -f /dev/sda3' to reclaim inodes and fix filesystem inconsistencies.
Why it's wrong here
e2fsck will check the filesystem but cannot close open file handles; space is still consumed.
✗
Move the binary logs to a different partition using 'mv /var/lib/mysql/mysql-bin.* /tmp/' and then delete them.
Why it's wrong here
The files were already deleted; mv will fail. The issue is open handles.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates assume deleting a file immediately frees disk space, overlooking that processes with open file descriptors prevent the kernel from releasing the inode and data blocks until the descriptor is closed.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
Under Linux, when a file is deleted but still open, the kernel keeps the inode and data blocks allocated until the last file descriptor is closed. The 'lsof | grep deleted' command reveals such files. This behavior is critical in database environments where large log files (e.g., MySQL binary logs) are often rotated or deleted while the database is running; simply deleting them without restarting the service or using the MySQL PURGE BINARY LOGS command leaves space unreclaimed.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A practitioner preparing for the LPIC-1 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Devices, Filesystems and FHS — This question tests Devices, Filesystems and FHS — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Restart the MySQL service with 'systemctl restart mysql'. — When a file is deleted while a process (like mysqld) still holds an open file descriptor to it, the file's inode remains allocated and the disk space is not freed until the process releases the descriptor. Restarting the MySQL service (systemctl restart mysql) causes mysqld to close all open file descriptors, allowing the kernel to release the deleted binary logs' inodes and reclaim the disk space.
What should I do if I get this LPIC-1 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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