EX200 Deploy, configure, and maintain systems Practice Question
A system fails to boot with an error about a missing ext4 filesystem. From the rescue environment, which command should be run to attempt automatic repair of all filesystems?
⚠ Common exam trap
Watch out — candidates often confuse `e2fsck -p` (which only repairs a single ext filesystem automatically) with `fsck -A -y` (which repairs all filesystems automatically), or they mistakenly think `debugfs` has a repair command, when it is actually a debugging tool, not a repair utility.
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 -A -y
`fsck -A -y` automatically checks all filesystems listed in `/etc/fstab` (the `-A` flag) and answers 'yes' to any repair prompts (the `-y` flag), making it the most appropriate command for automatic repair of all filesystems from a rescue environment. The error indicates a missing ext4 filesystem, and this command will attempt to repair any ext4 (or other) filesystem issues without manual intervention.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
fsck /dev/sda1
Why it's wrong here
Running fsck against /dev/sda1 limits the check to a single partition and does not address the broader set of filesystems needed for the boot process. If the root filesystem is not on sda1, or if the boot error is actually caused by a missing or malformed entry in /etc/fstab, this command will not find the problem. It also does not honor the pass-order sequencing determined by the fifth column of /etc/fstab, which fsck -A enforces.
- ✗
debugfs -R 'repair'
Why it's wrong here
debugfs is an interactive ext2/3/4 debugger designed for manually examining and modifying inodes, block bitmaps, and superblocks, but it has no 'repair' command and is not a repair utility. The -R flag merely runs one debugfs command non-interactively, and 'repair' is not a recognized command, so the invocation will fail. Even if a valid command such as 'check' were used, debugfs lacks the automated scanning and recovery logic of e2fsck and is far too low-level and risky for ordinary boot recovery.
- ✗
e2fsck -p
Why it's wrong here
e2fsck -p invokes the ext-family checker in preen mode, which automatically fixes only the set of cleanly repairable problems and requires you to specify a device or filesystem explicitly. It does not scan /etc/fstab, so it cannot discover every filesystem that the boot sequence depends on; if another ext4 filesystem is also corrupted, it will remain unchecked. Moreover, preen mode is intentionally conservative and will stop and require a manual answer or -y for more severe corruption, making it less robust than fsck -A -y.
- ✓
fsck -A -y
Why this is correct
fsck -A -y is the correct rescue command because -A makes fsck consult /etc/fstab and check every filesystem with a nonzero pass number in the proper order, while -y automatically responds 'yes' to all repair prompts, allowing the operation to run without manual input. This covers all mounted filesystems, including the root filesystem, so a corrupted ext4 filesystem that aborts the boot process is likely to be detected and repaired in one pass. It is the standard first-line tool when a system fails to boot due to filesystem inconsistency or a missing ext4 superblock.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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