What does the Linux command 'fdisk /dev/hda' do?

• A. Partition the hard drive
• B. Format the hard drive
• C. Delete all files under the /dev/hda folder
• D. Fill the disk with zeros

Answer: (A)

fdisk is a partition table editor for a hard disk. When you run it on a device like /dev/hda, you’re working with the disk’s partition layout—the divisions that define where one partition ends and the next begins. Using fdisk lets you create, delete, or resize partitions, and set basic attributes like the bootable flag. It doesn’t format the drive or create filesystems by itself; that comes after you’ve defined partitions, using a separate tool (for example, mkfs) to format each partition. It also doesn’t delete files or fill the disk with zeros—/dev/hda is a device file representing the hardware, not a directory with files to wipe. So the action performed is partitioning the hard drive.