EX200 Create and configure file systems Practice Question
Which three of the following actions are required when adding a new swap device to the system? (Choose three.)
⚠ Common exam trap
Red Hat often tests the misconception that swap devices must be mounted or formatted with a filesystem, leading candidates to incorrectly select options A or B.
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
✓
Use mkswap to set up the swap signature
`mkswap` writes a swap signature (UUID and label) to the device, which is required before the kernel can use it as swap space. Without this signature, the device is not recognized as a swap area.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Mount the device to a swap directory
Why it's wrong here
Mounting a device attaches a filesystem to the VFS via a mount point directory, but swap is not a filesystem and has no mountable content. The kernel enables swap through the swapon system call, which registers the raw block device as paging space, so there is no mount directory concept for swap.
- ✗
Create a filesystem using mkfs
Why it's wrong here
The mkfs command creates a conventional filesystem such as ext4 or XFS, which are designed for storing files and directories. Swap space contains no filesystem; instead, mkswap writes a dedicated swap signature that tells the kernel the area is raw paging space. Running mkfs on a swap device would overwrite that signature and corrupt the swap area.
- ✓
Use mkswap to set up the swap signature
Why this is correct
mkswap initializes a disk partition or file by writing a swap signature and labeling information, preparing it for use as virtual memory. Without this step, the kernel does not recognize the device as swap, so mkswap is a mandatory prerequisite for any swap area. It is a distinct operation separate from filesystem creation, because swap uses a raw layout rather than a filesystem.
- ✓
Use swapon to activate swap
Why this is correct
swapon tells the kernel to begin using the initialized swap device for paging memory to disk. This command is what actually activates swap, and it may be used interactively for temporary changes or for permanent configuration via fstab. Even after mkswap writes the signature, the kernel ignores the device until swapon is called, making this activation step essential on the current system.
- ✓
Add an entry in /etc/fstab with the swap option
Why this is correct
Adding an entry in /etc/fstab with the swap option in the fs_type field ensures the kernel can automatically run swapon -a at boot. The fstab entry defines the swap device's location and type, so persistent swap configuration depends on this step. This differs from a manual swapon call, which only affects the current session until the system is rebooted.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every EX200 question from scratch — 427 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This EX200 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Red Hat 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 EX200 exam.