Which command would you use to watch the systemd journal files in real-time?

Disable ads (and more) with a premium pass for a one time $4.99 payment

Boost your Linux skills with the CompTIA Linux+ Certification Exam simulator. Engage with multiple choice questions and detailed feedback. Master Linux concepts and prepare for your exam with confidence!

The command to watch the systemd journal files in real-time is "journalctl -f". This command is specifically designed for interacting with the systemd journal, which is a logging system that collects and manages logs for system services and the kernel in Linux environments that use systemd.

The "-f" option stands for "follow," which means that the command will display new log entries as they are written to the journal. This is similar to the behavior of the "tail -f" command but is specifically tailored for the journal, allowing it to utilize the structured, indexed logging system that systemd employs.

Using "journalctl -f" offers advantages over other methods because it provides a comprehensive view of all system logs, not just kernel logs or syslog entries. This helps system administrators to monitor real-time activities, troubleshoot issues, and understand the state of services as they operate.

In contrast, options like "tail -f" are typically used for plain text log files and are not designed to interact with the systemd journal specifically. "cat /var/log/kern.log" and "less /var/log/syslog" restrict you to reading specific log files rather than providing a continuous, real-time stream of journal entries. Therefore, "journalctl

Subscribe

Get the latest from Examzify

You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our privacy policy