This EX200 practice question tests your understanding of create and configure file systems. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A system administrator needs to create an XFS filesystem on /dev/sdb1 with the label 'data'. Which command should be used?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "which command"
Why it matters: Tests specific CLI syntax. Recall the exact command and its required context — near-synonyms and partial matches are common distractors.
mkfs.ext4 -L data /dev/sdb1
Why wrong: Incorrect: This creates an ext4 filesystem, not XFS.
mkfs.xfs -l data /dev/sdb1
Why wrong: Incorrect: -l is not a valid option for mkfs.xfs; the correct option is -L.
xfs_admin -L data /dev/sdb1
Why wrong: Incorrect: xfs_admin modifies an existing XFS filesystem label, it does not create a new filesystem.
mkfs.xfs -L data /dev/sdb1
Correct: mkfs.xfs -L sets the label during filesystem creation.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
mkfs.xfs -L data /dev/sdb1
Option D is correct because the `mkfs.xfs` command creates an XFS filesystem, and the `-L` flag assigns a label to the filesystem during creation. The command `mkfs.xfs -L data /dev/sdb1` correctly creates an XFS filesystem on the specified partition with the label 'data'.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
mkfs.ext4 -L data /dev/sdb1
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: This creates an ext4 filesystem, not XFS.
mkfs.xfs -l data /dev/sdb1
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: -l is not a valid option for mkfs.xfs; the correct option is -L.
xfs_admin -L data /dev/sdb1
Why it's wrong here
Incorrect: xfs_admin modifies an existing XFS filesystem label, it does not create a new filesystem.
mkfs.xfs -L data /dev/sdb1
Why this is correct
Correct: mkfs.xfs -L sets the label during filesystem creation.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "which command" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is confusing the lowercase `-l` (used for log parameters in mkfs.xfs) with the uppercase `-L` (used for labels), or thinking that `xfs_admin` can create a filesystem when it only modifies existing ones.
Detailed technical explanation
The `-L` flag in `mkfs.xfs` sets the filesystem label at creation time, which is stored in the superblock and can be viewed with `xfs_admin -l` or `blkid`. A common real-world scenario is labeling filesystems to make mounting via `/etc/fstab` more robust (using `LABEL=data` instead of device paths), which avoids issues if device names change (e.g., after adding disks). Under the hood, the label is written to the superblock's `sb_fname` field, and XFS supports labels up to 12 characters.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A practitioner preparing for the EX200 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.
What to study next
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FAQ
Create and configure file systems — This question tests Create and configure file systems — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: mkfs.xfs -L data /dev/sdb1 — Option D is correct because the `mkfs.xfs` command creates an XFS filesystem, and the `-L` flag assigns a label to the filesystem during creation. The command `mkfs.xfs -L data /dev/sdb1` correctly creates an XFS filesystem on the specified partition with the label 'data'.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Yes — watch for: "which command". Tests specific CLI syntax. Recall the exact command and its required context — near-synonyms and partial matches are common distractors.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 24, 2026
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