EX200 Configure local storage Practice Question
Which file contains the list of filesystems to be mounted at system startup?
⚠ Common exam trap
Red Hat often tests the distinction between /etc/fstab (static boot-time configuration) and /etc/mtab (dynamic current mount state), leading candidates to confuse the two because both contain mount information.
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
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/etc/fstab
The /etc/fstab file is the system configuration file that defines static filesystem information, including devices, mount points, filesystem types, mount options, dump frequency, and fsck pass order. During system startup, the mount -a command (typically run by systemd or init scripts) reads /etc/fstab to mount all filesystems listed there, making it the definitive source for automatic mounting at boot.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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/etc/fstab
Why this is correct
/etc/fstab is the correct answer because it is the system's permanent filesystem table. Each line defines a filesystem to be mounted at boot, specifying the device or UUID, the mount point, the filesystem type, mount options, and dump/fsck flags. The systemd mount mechanism and the mount -a command both read this file to bring up all persistent filesystems. Without /etc/fstab, manually configured mounts would be lost after every reboot, so this file is the canonical location for mount definitions.
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/etc/rc.local
Why it's wrong here
/etc/rc.local is incorrect because it is a local startup script, not a configuration file that lists filesystems. It is executed once during the boot process and may contain arbitrary shell commands, such as mount commands, if an administrator adds them. However, it is not inherently consulted by the kernel or mount utilities for determining which filesystems to mount, and on systemd-based systems it is an optional legacy feature that may not even run unless enabled. Therefore, it does not hold the actual list of filesystems to be mounted.
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/etc/filesystems
Why it's wrong here
/etc/filesystems is incorrect because it does not contain mount points or persistent mount entries; instead, it is a plain list of filesystem types (e.g., ext4, xfs, vfat). The mount command references this file when no explicit filesystem type is given, to probe which filesystems are supported by the kernel. It is a discovery/autodetection aid, not a table of what should be mounted where. Consequently, it cannot be the file containing the list of filesystems to be mounted at boot.
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/etc/mtab
Why it's wrong here
/etc/mtab is incorrect because it is a runtime record of the filesystems that are currently mounted at any given moment, not a persistent configuration. It is updated dynamically by the kernel and mount operations, and on modern systems it is often a symlink to /proc/self/mounts. Because it reflects transient state—including manually mounted filesystems and temporary mounts—it is not used by the system at boot to determine which filesystems should be mounted. The static boot-time configuration belongs to /etc/fstab, not /etc/mtab.
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