What is the default logging system for systemd?

The default logging system for systemd is journald. This logging service is designed to collect and manage log data from various sources, including the kernel, services, and user processes. Journald organizes logs in a binary format, which allows for efficient storage and retrieval, enabling features like structured logging and enhanced performance compared to traditional log files.

One of the prominent benefits of using journald is its ability to maintain logs in a centralized location and allow users to query them using the journalctl command. This integration with systemd also provides seamless logging for services managed by systemd, ensuring that all log messages can be accessed in a consistent manner.

Though other logging systems like syslog and logger may still be in use or can be configured to work alongside systemd, they are not the default for a modern system running systemd. Syslog, for instance, is more traditional and often used in older systems, while logger is a utility that can send messages to the syslog system.