117-010 · Question #84
The command mkfs -t ext3 /dev/hdb1 -T largefile creates what size of inode?
The correct answer is B. 1 megabyte. See the full explanation below for the reasoning.
Question
The command mkfs -t ext3 /dev/hdb1 -T largefile creates what size of inode?
Options
- A4 kilobyte
- B1 megabyte
- C2 megabyte
- D4 megabyte
How the community answered
(44 responses)- A9% (4)
- B84% (37)
- C5% (2)
- D2% (1)
Community Discussion
6
Bao N.Jun 20, 2026The largefile usage type in ext3 sets the inode size to 1 megabyte, which is answer B. The logic behind this is that the largefile profile optimizes the filesystem for fewer, bigger files by spacing out inodes more aggressively, and that 1MB figure is what the mkfs.ext3 defaults table maps to when you pass -T largefile. A lot of people guess 4KB because that is the default block size they remember from standard ext3 installs, but that is the block size, not the inode ratio under the largefile profile. If you see any variant of this question that swaps in largefile4 instead, that one bumps the inode ratio to 4 megabytes, so D is the trap for that version.
Prof. SaraMay 30, 2026Largefile gives you 1 MB per inode, B is your answer. I nearly second-guessed myself toward 4 KB (the default) until I remembered the mnemonic "Large Files, Large MB" and circled B with two seconds left on the clock.
Orla P.Jun 2, 2026That two-second save is a good argument for flagging any inode-size question early and parking it until you've cleared the items you know cold, because coming back with a cleared head usually beats a last-second mnemonic race against the timer.
Luis F.Jun 26, 2026The largefile profile sets 1MB inodes, not 4MB, so B is your answer.
Bao N.Jun 28, 2026Luis is right that the largefile profile defaults to 1MB inodes, but keep in mind it also bumps the block group size which is the piece that actually moves the needle on large sequential reads, so if you are only optimizing for that workload the inode size alone is not the whole story.
Orla P.Jun 6, 2026Saw this exact wording on my 117-010 sitting and I almost second-guessed myself because I kept thinking of inodes in terms of blocks, not size allocations, but the largefile usage type sets bytes-per-inode to 1 megabyte, so B is the one. The whiteboard they gave me helped because I wrote out the mkfs usage types from memory and largefile was right there staring at me.