Messages related to startup are logged in _____

Startup messages in a Linux system are logged in the file located at /var/log/boot.log. This file specifically captures messages related to the system's boot process, including logs from services that are started or stopped during boot, kernel messages, and any errors encountered while the system initializes. This makes it a dedicated log for monitoring the boot sequence and diagnosing issues that arise during system startup.

The other options point to different log files that serve various purposes. For example, /var/log/cron is used to log scheduled tasks executed by the cron daemon, /var/log/messages contains a general log of system-related messages, while /var/log/maillog pertains to mail server activity and issues. Thus, none of those files specifically track startup messages, affirming that /var/log/boot.log is the appropriate choice for logging messages associated with the boot process.