Targets & Runlevels
Targets (the old runlevels)
systemd targets replace SysV runlevels - a target is a group of units representing a system state.
| Runlevel | systemd target | Meaning |
|---|
| 0 | poweroff.target | Halt |
| 1 | rescue.target | Single-user / rescue |
| 3 | multi-user.target | Multi-user, text (servers) |
| 5 | graphical.target | Multi-user + GUI |
| 6 | reboot.target | Reboot |
| Command | Action |
|---|
systemctl get-default | Show default target |
systemctl set-default multi-user.target | Set default |
systemctl isolate rescue.target | Switch now |
Exam tip: Servers default to multi-user.target (no GUI). rescue.target is single-user; emergency.target is even more minimal (read-only root, for repairs).