TestOut Linux Pro Practice Test 2026 – Complete Exam Prep Guide

The option '-C' with the tar command is used specifically for changing the directory when extracting files. This allows the user to specify a different directory into which the files should be extracted, rather than extracting them to the current working directory. For instance, when you want the contents of an archive to be placed in a specific folder, using the '-C' option followed by the desired directory path directs the output accordingly.

This functionality is particularly useful in scenarios where there is a need to maintain a clean directory structure or when organizing files into pristine locations without having to navigate through directories after extraction.

While options related to file creation and compression may address other aspects of file management, they do not pertain directly to the operation of changing the directory during the extraction process, which is what the '-C' option specifically facilitates.