What type of archive is created and opened by the gzip utility?

The gzip utility specifically creates and opens files that have a .gz extension. This format compresses files to reduce their size, making them easier to store and transmit. Gzip uses the DEFLATE compression algorithm, which is efficient for compressing single files, often resulting in a smaller output file with the .gz extension. This is particularly useful in Unix and Linux environments, where it is often utilized to compress individual files before storage or transfer.

While tar is a common archive format often used in conjunction with gzip (as in creating tarballs), gzip itself solely focuses on compressing files into the .gz format. Zip and rar are different compression formats altogether, with their own utilities and features that do not include the use of gzip. Understanding the specific function of gzip in the realm of file compression helps clarify why the .gz extension is associated with this utility.