This EX200 practice question tests your understanding of essential tools. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
An administrator needs to compress a directory containing subdirectories and files into a single archive file, with maximum compression, and exclude all '*.tmp' files. Which command should be used?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "which command"
Why it matters: Tests specific CLI syntax. Recall the exact command and its required context — near-synonyms and partial matches are common distractors.
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
tar -czvf archive.tar.gz --exclude='*.tmp' /path/to/dir
Option A is correct because it uses `tar -czvf` to create a gzip-compressed archive with maximum compression (the `z` flag invokes gzip, which by default uses level 6; for maximum compression you would add `--gzip --level=9` or use `GZIP=-9`, but the question's 'maximum compression' is a common phrasing for gzip). The `--exclude='*.tmp'` option is placed before the source directory, which is the correct syntax for tar to apply the exclusion pattern to all files during archiving. This command compresses the directory into a single `.tar.gz` file while omitting all temporary files.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
✓
tar -czvf archive.tar.gz --exclude='*.tmp' /path/to/dir
Why this is correct
Max compression with gzip (z), exclude pattern works.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "which command" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
tar -czvf archive.tar.gz /path/to/dir --exclude='*.tmp'
Why it's wrong here
The exclude option must come before the directory path.
✗
tar -cjvf archive.tar.bz2 --exclude='*.tmp' /path/to/dir
Why it's wrong here
Uses bzip2, but compression is not max for gzip; bzip2 is better but not asked.
✗
tar -czvf archive.tar.gz /path/to/dir
Why it's wrong here
Does not exclude .tmp files.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword
Red Hat often tests the positional requirement of `--exclude` relative to the source path — many candidates incorrectly place the exclude pattern after the directory, assuming tar will still apply it, but tar only honors exclusions that appear before the source argument.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
The `tar` command processes its options and arguments in a specific order: options (like `--exclude`) must appear before the source file or directory, otherwise they are ignored. The `--exclude` pattern uses shell-style globbing, not regular expressions, so `*.tmp` matches any file ending in `.tmp` in any subdirectory. For maximum compression with gzip, you can set the environment variable `GZIP=-9` or use `tar -I 'gzip -9'` to force level 9 compression, though the default level 6 is often considered a good balance. In real-world scenarios, administrators often combine `--exclude` with `--exclude-from` to handle multiple patterns from a file.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.
TExam Day Tips
→Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
→Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
What to study next
Got this wrong? Here's your next step.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Essential Tools — This question tests Essential Tools — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: tar -czvf archive.tar.gz --exclude='*.tmp' /path/to/dir — Option A is correct because it uses `tar -czvf` to create a gzip-compressed archive with maximum compression (the `z` flag invokes gzip, which by default uses level 6; for maximum compression you would add `--gzip --level=9` or use `GZIP=-9`, but the question's 'maximum compression' is a common phrasing for gzip). The `--exclude='*.tmp'` option is placed before the source directory, which is the correct syntax for tar to apply the exclusion pattern to all files during archiving. This command compresses the directory into a single `.tar.gz` file while omitting all temporary files.
What should I do if I get this EX200 question wrong?
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "which command". Tests specific CLI syntax. Recall the exact command and its required context — near-synonyms and partial matches are common distractors.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Question Discussion
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