EX200 Create and configure file systems Practice Question
Exhibit
# mount | grep sda1 /dev/sda1 on /boot type xfs (rw,relatime,seclabel,attr2,inode64,noquota) # cat /etc/fstab /dev/mapper/rhel-root / xfs defaults 0 0 UUID=12345678-1234-1234-1234-123456789abc /boot xfs defaults 0 0 /dev/mapper/rhel-swap swap swap defaults 0 0 # blkid /dev/sda1 /dev/sda1: UUID="12345678-1234-1234-1234-123456789abc" TYPE="xfs"
Refer to the exhibit. A system administrator wants to add an additional mount option 'noexec' to the /boot filesystem permanently. Which step is necessary before remounting?
⚠ Common exam trap
A common trap on the RHCSA exam is confusing a temporary remount (which applies options only until the next reboot) with a permanent change via /etc/fstab. Candidates often choose option A thinking a simple remount is sufficient for permanence, but only editing /etc/fstab makes the mount option persistent across reboots.
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
✓
Edit /etc/fstab to add 'noexec' to the /boot entry, then run mount -o remount /boot
To make the 'noexec' mount option persistent for /boot, you must first edit /etc/fstab to add the option to the /boot entry. Then, running 'mount -o remount /boot' will remount the filesystem with the new options from fstab without needing to unmount it. This ensures the change survives reboots and is applied correctly.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Run mount -o remount,noexec /boot without editing /etc/fstab
Why it's wrong here
This remount command applies the noexec flag immediately, so it works for the current session, but it does not modify /etc/fstab. Because /boot will be remounted from fstab options at the next boot, the noexec setting is lost on reboot. System administrators must edit fstab to make mount option changes permanent, otherwise the temporary remount only masks the problem until the system restarts.
- ✓
Edit /etc/fstab to add 'noexec' to the /boot entry, then run mount -o remount /boot
Why this is correct
Editing /etc/fstab to add noexec to the /boot entry updates the persistent source of truth for that filesystem's options. Running mount -o remount /boot then asks the kernel to reapply the mount flags from fstab without requiring an unmount, so the new noexec setting takes effect while the system stays running. This is the correct way to change mount options permanently and immediately.
- ✗
Run umount /boot, edit /etc/fstab to add 'noexec', then mount /boot
Why it's wrong here
Unmounting /boot before changing fstab is unnecessary and risky; if any process or the kernel is using files from /boot, the umount command will fail with a "target is busy" error. Even if it succeeded, a subsequent mount would apply the new options, but this approach is disruptive and can cause a boot failure if the mount does not happen cleanly. A remount is designed to switch flags on a live filesystem and avoids these problems.
- ✗
Edit /etc/fstab to add 'noexec' to the /boot entry, then run mount -a
Why it's wrong here
The mount -a command only mounts filesystems listed in /etc/fstab that are not currently mounted; it does not remount filesystems that are already active. Since /boot is already mounted before the fstab edit, mount -a will skip it and leave the old options in effect. To apply the changed noexec flag to the running system, you need an explicit remount, and mount -a would only matter after the edit for mounts that are not yet mounted.
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