What command is used to create an archive file in Linux?

The command used to create an archive file in Linux is 'tar -c'. This command is part of the 'tar' utility, which stands for tape archive and is widely used to create and manipulate archive files. The '-c' option specifically indicates that a new archive should be created.

When using 'tar -c', you typically also include the '-f' option to specify the filename of the archive that you want to create. For instance, the full command could look like 'tar -cf archive.tar /path/to/directory', which creates an archive of the specified directory called 'archive.tar'.

Understanding the purpose of the other options helps clarify their functions: '-x' is used for extracting files from an archive, '-f' is provided to specify the file name being created or manipulated, and '-v' stands for verbose output, showing the progress of the operation. While these options are essential for other tasks with the 'tar' command, they do not create an archive by themselves. Thus, the '-c' option is the key to initiating the creation of an archive.