fdisk and lsblk in Linux CLI - Interactive Code Practice

Practice - 5 Tasks

1fill in blank

easy

Complete the command to list all block devices on your system.

Linux CLI

lsblk [1]

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

A-m

B-l

C-a

D-f

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using -a shows all devices including empty ones, but not in list format.

Using -f shows filesystem info, not the device list.

Using -m shows permissions, not the device list.

The lsblk -l command lists all block devices in a list format, showing partitions and devices clearly.

2fill in blank

medium

Complete the command to start fdisk on the device /dev/sda.

Linux CLI

sudo fdisk [1]

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

A/dev/sda

B/dev/sdb

C/dev/sdc

D/dev/sdd

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using /dev/sdb or other devices when the main disk is /dev/sda.

Forgetting to use sudo for administrative privileges.

To modify partitions on the main disk, you use sudo fdisk /dev/sda.

3fill in blank

hard

Fix the error in the command to print detailed info about partitions using lsblk.

Linux CLI

lsblk [1]

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

A-o NAME,SIZE,TYPE,MOUNTPOINT

B-p

C-d

D-r

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using -d shows only devices, no partitions.

Using -p shows full device paths but not detailed columns.

Using -r shows raw output, not formatted columns.

The -o option lets you specify columns to show. Using -o NAME,SIZE,TYPE,MOUNTPOINT shows detailed partition info.

4fill in blank

hard

Fill both blanks to create a dictionary comprehension that maps partition names to their sizes using lsblk output.

Linux CLI

sizes = { [1]: [2] for part in partitions }

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Apart

Bpart.size

Cpart.name

Dpart.mountpoint

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using mountpoint instead of size for values.

Using the same variable for key and value.

This comprehension creates a dictionary where keys are partition names (part.name) and values are their sizes (part.size).

5fill in blank

hard

Fill all three blanks to filter partitions larger than 1G and create a dictionary of their names and sizes.

Linux CLI

large_parts = { [1]: [2] for p in partitions if [3] > 1_000_000_000 }

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Ap.name

Bp.size

Dp.mountpoint

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using mountpoint instead of size for filtering.

Using inconsistent variable names.

This comprehension filters partitions where size is greater than 1GB (1,000,000,000 bytes) and maps their names to sizes.

Practice

1. What is the primary purpose of the fdisk command in Linux?

easy

A. To display the current directory contents

B. To create and modify disk partitions

C. To list running processes

D. To monitor network connections

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the role of fdisk

   The fdisk command is used to create, delete, and modify disk partitions on Linux systems.

2. Step 2: Compare with other commands

   Other options like listing directories, processes, or network connections are unrelated to disk partitioning.

3. Final Answer:

   To create and modify disk partitions -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   fdisk = disk partition tool [OK]

Hint: fdisk = fix disk partitions [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing fdisk with lsblk
• Thinking fdisk lists files
• Assuming fdisk monitors network

2. Which of the following is the correct syntax to list all block devices using lsblk?

easy

A. lsblk --all

B. lsblk -d

C. lsblk -l

D. lsblk -f

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the option to list all devices

   The --all option with lsblk lists all devices, including empty ones.

2. Step 2: Check other options

   -d lists only whole disks (no partitions), -l lists in list format, -f shows filesystem info but not all devices.

3. Final Answer:

   lsblk --all -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   lsblk --all = show all devices [OK]

Hint: --all shows everything in lsblk [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using -d instead of --all
• Confusing -l with --all
• Using -f to list devices

3. Given the command output below, what is the size of the partition /dev/sda1?

NAME   MAJ:MIN RM  SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT
sda      8:0    0  100G  0 disk 
sda1     8:1    0   50G  0 part /
sda2     8:2    0   50G  0 part /home

medium

A. 100G

B. 0G

C. 50G

D. 150G

Solution

1. Step 1: Read the lsblk output

   The line for /dev/sda1 shows a size of 50G under the SIZE column.

2. Step 2: Understand partition sizes

   The disk sda is 100G total, split into two partitions of 50G each.

3. Final Answer:

   50G -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   /dev/sda1 size = 50G [OK]

Hint: Check SIZE column for partition size [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing disk size with partition size
• Adding partition sizes incorrectly
• Ignoring the SIZE column

4. You run fdisk /dev/sdb but get the error: cannot open /dev/sdb: Permission denied. What is the most likely cause?

medium

A. The disk /dev/sdb is formatted with ext4

B. The disk /dev/sdb is already mounted

C. The lsblk command is not installed

D. You forgot to run the command as root or with sudo

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand permission requirements

   Running fdisk on disks requires root privileges; without sudo or root, device access is denied.

2. Step 2: Check other options

   Disk being mounted or formatted does not cause 'Permission denied' error; missing lsblk is unrelated.

3. Final Answer:

   You forgot to run the command as root or with sudo -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   fdisk needs root access [OK]

Hint: Use sudo with fdisk to access disks [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming mounted disk causes 'Permission denied'
• Thinking formatting affects fdisk detection
• Confusing fdisk errors with lsblk issues

5. You want to create a new partition on /dev/sdc using fdisk. After creating the partition, which command should you run to immediately see the updated partition layout in a tree view?

hard

A. lsblk /dev/sdc

B. fdisk -l /dev/sdc

C. mount /dev/sdc1 /mnt

D. df -h /dev/sdc

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify command to show partition tree

   lsblk displays block devices and partitions in a clear tree format, perfect for checking new partitions.

2. Step 2: Compare with other commands

   fdisk -l lists partitions but not in tree view; mount mounts partitions; df -h shows disk usage, not layout.

3. Final Answer:

   lsblk /dev/sdc -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   lsblk shows partition tree [OK]

Hint: Use lsblk to view partitions visually [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using fdisk -l expecting tree view
• Trying to mount before checking partitions
• Using df to see partition layout