Linux Runlevel

In Linux, a "run level" refers to a specific state of the operating system in which a certain set of services and daemons are running. There are several predefined run levels, each with a specific purpose.

Linux Run Level (init 0)
ID	Name	Description
0	Off	Turns off the device.
1	Single-user mode	Mode for administrative tasks.
2	Multi-user mode	Does not configure network interfaces and does not export networks services.
3	Multi-user mode with networking	Starts the system normally.
4	Not used/user-definable	For special purposes.
5	Full mode	Same as runlevel 3+.
6	Reboot	Reboots the device.

Use the runlevel command /sbin/runlevel to find the current and previous runlevel of an operating system.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check the current runlevel?

Run runlevel. It prints the previous and the current runlevel, for example N 5, where N means there was no previous level. who -r shows the same information.

How do I change the runlevel?

Run init <number> as root, for example init 3 for multi-user mode with networking. init 0 shuts the system down and init 6 reboots it.

Do runlevels still exist on systemd systems?

systemd uses targets instead: runlevel 3 corresponds to multi-user.target and runlevel 5 to graphical.target. Use systemctl get-default to see the default and systemctl set-default multi-user.target to change it.

What is the difference between runlevel 3 and runlevel 5?

Runlevel 3 is multi-user mode with networking and a text console. Runlevel 5 starts the same services plus the graphical desktop.