Which tool is used for both compression and generating archive files?

The tool that is used for both compression and generating archive files is tar. Tar, short for "tape archive," is primarily utilized to combine multiple files and directories into one single archive file, known as a tarball. While tar itself does not compress files, it can be used in conjunction with compression tools like gzip or bzip2 to create compressed archives.

When creating an archive, tar packages up the files and maintains directory structure, which makes it an ideal choice for backups and file transfers. Additionally, when combined with gzip (producing .tar.gz files) or bzip2 (resulting in .tar.bz2 files), it not only archives but also compresses the data, reducing the overall size of the final file.

The other tools listed serve different purposes. Zip, for example, is specifically designed for both archiving and compressing files into a single file format. Bzip2 is a compression tool but does not create archives on its own; it compresses individual files and can be used with tar for this purpose. Cpio also deals with archiving but does not provide compression directly, thus being less versatile compared to tar in the context of creating compressed archives.