How to check the default boot target in systemd

Checking the default boot target in systemd shows what a normal boot is configured to reach. That is useful before changing boot mode, confirming why a host stops at a text login, or verifying whether a machine should start a graphical session.

In the system instance, systemd starts default.target during boot. Upstream systemctl get-default returns the target unit name that default.target is aliased to, which is usually multi-user.target for a non-graphical boot or graphical.target for a graphical login.

The saved default is not always the same as the target that is active right now. A temporary kernel option such as systemd.unit=rescue.target or a later systemctl isolate can move the current session into another target without changing the next normal boot, and systemctl --user get-default checks the per-user service manager instead of the system boot target.

1. Open a terminal on the Linux host that uses systemd.

   This check is read-only and normally does not require sudo.

2. Print the saved default boot target.

   $ systemctl get-default
   graphical.target

   Common results are graphical.target for a graphical login and multi-user.target for a non-graphical multi-user boot. If the saved target is not the intended one, use How to set the default boot target in systemd to change it for the next normal boot.

3. List the common boot-related target unit files when the target name needs a quick sanity check.

   $ systemctl list-unit-files default.target graphical.target multi-user.target rescue.target --no-pager --no-legend
   default.target    alias  -
   graphical.target  static -
   multi-user.target static -
   rescue.target     static -

   default.target is an alias rather than a standalone target file. rescue.target is a recovery target, not a normal day-to-day default.

   Related: How to list systemd targets