Which service is responsible for sorting and organizing syslog messages into specific files in /var/log?

The service responsible for sorting and organizing syslog messages into specific files in /var/log is rsyslog. This is a default logging service in many Linux distributions, including those based on Red Hat. Rsyslog enhances the capabilities of earlier logging systems, providing features like reliable message transport, TCP support, and an ability to filter and categorize logs effectively.

When syslog messages are received, rsyslog applies various rules defined in its configuration files, which dictate how messages are categorized and the files they should be directed to within the /var/log directory. This allows system administrators to efficiently manage logs and ensure that logs are maintained in an organized manner.

While syslog-ng, journald, and syslogd are also used for logging, they have varying levels of functionality and support compared to rsyslog. Rsyslog's flexibility and efficiency make it the primary choice for contemporary Linux systems handling syslog messages.