What command would you use to create an archive using 'tar'?

To create an archive using the 'tar' command, the syntax involves specifying options that dictate the operation you want to perform. The correct command to create a new archive begins with the -c option, which stands for "create." In addition to this, the -v option can be included for verbose output, showing the progress in the terminal as files are archived. The -f option specifies the filename of the archive to be created.

In this case, the command tar -cvf archive.tar directory/ indeed fulfills these criteria. It creates an archive named archive.tar from all the contents located within the specified directory/. This command effectively packages the files and directories while providing clarity on which files are being processed through the verbose output.

The other options highlight different functionalities of the 'tar' command: for instance, options that extract content, list the content of an archive, or append files to an existing archive, rather than creating a new one. Understanding these different options is critical for effectively using 'tar' in various file management tasks on a Linux system.