Which directory holds system log files by default in Linux?

The directory that holds system log files by default in Linux is /var/log. This directory is a standard location in Unix-like operating systems for storing log files created by the operating system and applications. These log files can include a variety of information, such as system messages, error logs, and application logs, which are critical for system monitoring and troubleshooting.

In /var/log, you can find important logs such as syslog, which captures system messages, and auth.log, where authentication-related messages are recorded. The organization of this directory allows administrators to manage and analyze logs efficiently, as they encompass a wide range of operations and services running on the system.

The other options, such as /etc/logs, /usr/log, and /home/logs, do not follow standard conventions for log file storage in Linux. Therefore, they are not used for storing system log files by default, and attempting to locate logs in these directories would likely result in an absence of the expected files.