EX200 Deploy, configure, and maintain systems Practice Question
A system administrator notices that a RHEL 9 server's /var/log/messages is filling up the /var partition. The administrator wants to ensure log rotation runs daily and keeps 4 weeks of logs. Which configuration file should be modified?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse the log rotation configuration file (/etc/logrotate.d/syslog) with the cron job that triggers it (/etc/cron.daily/logrotate) or with the logging daemon configuration files (journald.conf or rsyslog.conf), assuming those control rotation parameters.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
/etc/logrotate.d/syslog
/etc/logrotate.d/syslog is the configuration file that controls log rotation for system log files such as /var/log/messages. By modifying this file, the administrator can set the rotation frequency to daily and specify the number of weeks (e.g., rotate 28 for 4 weeks) to retain logs, directly addressing the requirement.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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/etc/systemd/journald.conf
Why it's wrong here
This file contains settings for systemd-journald, a separate logging daemon that manages its own binary journal. It does not control rotation of text-based syslog files like /var/log/messages. Although journald has size and retention limits (e.g., SystemMaxUse), those are not logrotate directives, and this path is not read by logrotate.
- ✓
/etc/logrotate.d/syslog
Why this is correct
This is a logrotate drop-in configuration file located under /etc/logrotate.d. logrotate reads this file when it runs, and it lists /var/log/messages (along with /var/log/secure, cron, etc.) with directives for rotation frequency, number of retained rotated logs, and a postrotate command to signal rsyslog with HUP. Editing this file is the correct way to change how those syslog files are rotated.
- ✗
/etc/rsyslog.conf
Why it's wrong here
This is the main configuration file for the rsyslog daemon. It defines input modules, rule sets, and output destinations, such as writing to /var/log/messages. It does not contain rotate, daily, weekly, size, or count directives, and logrotate does not parse this file; therefore changing it will not alter log rotation behavior.
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/etc/cron.daily/logrotate
Why it's wrong here
This path is a cron script maintained in the /etc/cron.daily directory that runs the logrotate utility each day. It is the scheduler or trigger that invokes /usr/sbin/logrotate with /etc/logrotate.conf, not a configuration file for individual log files. Any rotation settings for /var/log/messages belong in /etc/logrotate.d, so editing or replacing this script would be the wrong layer.
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