EX200 Configure local storage Practice Question
Which TWO commands can be used to view the current disk usage of a filesystem?
⚠ Common exam trap
Red Hat often tests the distinction between commands that show block device information (like `lsblk` or `blkid`) versus those that report actual disk usage (`du` and `df`), trapping candidates who confuse device listing with usage reporting.
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
✓
du
The `du` command (disk usage) estimates file and directory space usage, allowing you to view disk usage at the file or directory level. The `df` command (disk free) reports the amount of available and used disk space on mounted filesystems, showing overall filesystem usage. Both are standard Linux tools for examining disk consumption.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
blkid
Why it's wrong here
blkid is a utility that locates and reports block device attributes such as UUID, filesystem type, and LABEL for devices listed in /dev, but it does not report how much space is allocated or available on mounted filesystems. Running blkid outputs metadata like the device's filesystem signature (e.g., ext4, xfs) and partition UUIDs, not usage statistics in bytes or percentage. Therefore it cannot answer 'current disk usage'.
- ✓
du
Why this is correct
du estimates file and directory space usage by walking the directory tree and summing the sizes of files and directories, reporting blocks used using -h for human-readable output and -sh for a total. It measures disk space consumed by a given path, not the capacity of the filesystem itself, so it's the correct tool when you need per-directory usage. Invoking du with arguments like du -sh /var would show the aggregate disk usage of that directory.
- ✗
fdisk
Why it's wrong here
fdisk is an interactive command for creating, deleting, resizing, and viewing partition tables (MBR or GPT) on block devices, showing sectors, partitions, and geometry. While it shows partition boundaries and sizes from the partition table, it does not report actual disk space usage of the filesystem—it only displays the partition's nominal size. fdisk is therefore a partitioning tool, not a usage metering tool, and is not appropriate for answering how much space is currently used.
- ✓
df
Why this is correct
df (disk free) reports the amount of disk space used and available on mounted filesystems, showing values like total, used, and available blocks, and the mount point. With the -h flag, df displays sizes in human-readable units, and it queries the kernel's filesystem statistics rather than scanning files. This makes df the essential command for viewing the current disk usage at the filesystem/volume level.
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lsblk
Why it's wrong here
lsblk lists information about all available block devices in a tree-like format derived from sysfs, showing device names, sizes, types, and mount points if available. While lsblk does show the total size of each device and which partitions exist, it does not compute how much space is used versus free on mounted filesystems. It provides topology, not utilization, and is used for identifying device names rather than gauging disk usage.
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