LPIC-2 Linux Kernel and System Startup Practice Question
A system administrator needs to include a custom kernel module in the initramfs to support a root filesystem on a USB device. Which command should be used to rebuild the initramfs with the updated kernel?
⚠ Common exam trap
It's easy for candidates to confuse distribution-specific tools, assuming update-initramfs (Debian) or mkinitrd (legacy) are universally applicable, while the question implicitly targets a Red Hat-based environment where dracut is the standard.
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
✓
dracut
Dracut is the correct tool for rebuilding the initramfs on modern Red Hat-based distributions (e.g., RHEL, CentOS, Fedora). It automatically detects and includes kernel modules required for the root filesystem, including those for USB storage devices, and regenerates the initramfs image with the updated kernel module.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
dracut
Why this is correct
dracut is the standard tool for creating initramfs images on many distributions.
- ✗
update-initramfs
Why it's wrong here
update-initramfs is Debian-specific and not general purpose.
- ✗
mkinitrd
Why it's wrong here
mkinitrd is an older tool and not the standard on modern systems; dracut is preferred.
- ✗
grub-mkconfig
Why it's wrong here
grub-mkconfig updates the GRUB configuration, not the initramfs.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This LPIC-2 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-2 exam.