Which application is responsible for scheduling jobs in Linux systems?

The application that is responsible for scheduling jobs in Linux systems is cron. Cron is a time-based job scheduler that allows users to run scripts, commands, or other tasks at specified intervals. It is particularly useful for automating repetitive tasks, such as backups, system updates, and maintenance scripts, which need to be executed on a regular schedule.

Cron uses a configuration file called the crontab, where users can define their scheduling preferences by specifying the minute, hour, day of the month, month, and day of the week for when the commands should run. This flexibility makes cron a powerful tool for managing scheduled tasks without requiring manual intervention.

The other options have distinct functions: at is designed for executing tasks once at a specified time rather than on a regular schedule; systemd is a system and service manager that initializes system processes and services; while init is an older system initialization process used in UNIX-like operating systems for starting system services.