This EX200 practice question tests your understanding of configure local storage. This is a configuration task: choose the command set that satisfies every stated requirement. Small differences — like 'secret' vs 'password' or 'transport input ssh' vs 'all' — change whether the answer is correct. 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.
An administrator needs to ensure that a specific LVM logical volume is automatically mounted at boot with the 'noexec' option. Which configuration file and entry should be used?
Option C is correct because /etc/fstab is the standard configuration file for defining filesystem mount points and options that are applied automatically at boot. The entry specifies the logical volume device, mount point, filesystem type, and mount options including 'noexec' to prevent execution of binaries on that filesystem. The 'defaults' keyword ensures standard mount behavior is applied before the 'noexec' option overrides the exec permission.
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.
✗
/etc/fstab: /dev/vg/lv /mnt ext4 noexec 0 0
Why it's wrong here
Missing 'defaults' before noexec; 'noexec' alone is acceptable but typically combined with defaults.
✗
/etc/rc.d/rc.local: mount /dev/vg/lv /mnt -o noexec
Why it's wrong here
Not the standard method; fstab is used for automatic boot mounts.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
/etc/rc.local: mount -o noexec /dev/vg/lv /mnt
Why it's wrong here
rc.local is not the standard way; fstab is preferred for boot-time mounts.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
The trap here is that candidates often confuse the purpose of /etc/fstab with boot scripts like rc.local, or they forget that mount options in fstab must be comma-separated and include 'defaults' to ensure all standard options are explicitly set before overriding them.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The /etc/fstab file is read by the mount command and systemd during boot to mount filesystems; each line consists of six fields: device, mount point, filesystem type, options, dump frequency, and fsck pass order. The 'noexec' option is a per-mount flag that prevents execution of any binaries on the filesystem, which is commonly used for security-sensitive mount points like /tmp or /var/tmp to mitigate certain attack vectors. When 'defaults' is used, it expands to rw, suid, dev, exec, auto, nouser, and async, so adding 'noexec' after a comma overrides the exec default.
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 EX200 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.
Configure local storage — This question tests Configure local storage — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: /etc/fstab: /dev/vg/lv /mnt ext4 defaults,noexec 0 0 — Option C is correct because /etc/fstab is the standard configuration file for defining filesystem mount points and options that are applied automatically at boot. The entry specifies the logical volume device, mount point, filesystem type, and mount options including 'noexec' to prevent execution of binaries on that filesystem. The 'defaults' keyword ensures standard mount behavior is applied before the 'noexec' option overrides the exec permission.
What should I do if I get this EX200 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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