multiusertarget

multi-user.target, commonly referred to as the multi-user target, is a systemd target that represents a non-graphical, multi-user operating state. It serves as the culmination point for a system boot when a text-based login is desired, providing a collection of background services and daemons expected to be running for multiple users. This target corresponds to the traditional runlevel 3 in SysV init.

In systemd, targets are synchronization points rather than executables; they group unit files through Requires and Wants directives. multi-user.target aggregates services such as network services, login prompts, and common daemons, ensuring essential subsystems are available without starting a graphical user interface.

Usage is straightforward. To boot into a non-graphical mode by default, set the default target to multi-user.target using systemctl set-default multi-user.target. To switch to non-graphical mode at runtime, use systemctl isolate multi-user.target; to return to GUI mode, use systemctl isolate graphical.target. Many distributions default to graphical.target on desktops but use multi-user.target on servers.

Relationship-wise, graphical.target provides a GUI and depends on multi-user.target. A display manager is started as part of graphical.target, so selecting graphical.target effectively includes the non-graphical services managed by multi-user.target.

Notes: targets themselves do not perform work but coordinate units. They define the desired system state by declaring dependencies and wants through unit files. The multi-user target is a core concept in systemd's approach to booting and operating in non-graphical environments, and it is widely used across Linux distributions to separate server-like operation from graphical interfaces.