runlevel

Additional Notes

runlevel displays the current and previous system runlevels as maintained by the init system. On SysV-init systems, runlevels are numbered 0 through 6, with common conventions: 0 (halt), 1 (single-user), 3 (multi-user with network), 5 (multi-user with GUI), and 6 (reboot).

On systemd-based systems, runlevel is a compatibility wrapper that maps systemd targets to traditional runlevel equivalents. The output includes two characters: the previous runlevel and the current runlevel. An N in the previous position means the runlevel has never changed since boot.

Syntax

runlevel

Parameters

None.

Common Options

• --help: Show help.
• --version: Show version information.

Examples

runlevel

Output: N 5 (previous was N/none, current is runlevel 5).

runlevel

Output: 5 3 (previous was 5, current is 3).

Practical Notes

• The previous runlevel is displayed first, followed by the current runlevel.
• N as the previous runlevel indicates the system booted directly into the current level.
• On systemd systems, runlevel is a symlink to systemctl and maps targets (e.g., runlevel3.target).
• Traditional runlevels: 0 (halt), 1 (single), 2 (multi-user without NFS), 3 (multi-user), 4 (unused), 5 (graphical), 6 (reboot).
• Use who -r for a more detailed view of the current runlevel and process status.