EX200 Create and configure file systems Practice Question
Which TWO commands can be used to create a new directory that will serve as a mount point?
⚠ Common exam trap
Red Hat often tests the distinction between creating a file (`touch`) and creating a directory (`mkdir` or `install -d`), leading candidates to mistakenly think any new filesystem object can serve as a mount point.
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
✓
install -d /mnt/newmount
`install -d /mnt/newmount` creates the directory `/mnt/newmount` if it does not already exist, setting it up as a mount point. Option D is correct because `mkdir /mnt/newmount` is the standard command to create a directory, which can then be used as a mount point for a filesystem.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
install -d /mnt/newmount
Why this is correct
install -d /mnt/newmount is correct because it creates the directory /mnt/newmount, and unlike plain mkdir, it also creates any missing parent components. Even though install is often used to copy files and set modes, with the -d option it acts purely as a directory-creation utility. Because the command succeeds and the result is a real directory, it satisfies the requirement.
- ✗
touch /mnt/newmount
Why it's wrong here
touch /mnt/newmount is wrong because touch's purpose is to update file timestamps or create an empty regular file. After running it, /mnt/newmount would be a zero-length regular file, not a directory, so any subsequent attempt to cd into it or create files under it would fail. Thus it does not create a directory as requested.
- ✗
ln -s /mnt /mnt/newmount
Why it's wrong here
ln -s /mnt /mnt/newmount creates a symbolic link named /mnt/newmount that points to the /mnt directory. The resulting filesystem entry is a symlink (file type l), not a newly created directory; it merely references the existing /mnt directory. Because the question asks to create a new directory, and this command only creates a pointer, it is not a correct choice.
- ✓
mkdir /mnt/newmount
Why this is correct
mkdir /mnt/newmount is the classic directory-creation command: it requests a new directory entry with the name /mnt/newmount. Since /mnt already exists, mkdir will create /mnt/newmount directly with default permissions. This is exactly the standard, unambiguous way to create a directory in a Red Hat environment.
- ✗
ln /mnt /mnt/newmount
Why it's wrong here
ln /mnt /mnt/newmount attempts to create a hard link named /mnt/newmount pointing to the same inode as /mnt, but Linux forbids hard links to directories to prevent filesystem cycles. The kernel returns an error such as 'Operation not permitted', so no directory is created. Even if it were allowed, a hard link is not the same as creating a new directory — it is just an additional name for the same directory, making this command incorrect.
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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.