systemd target
also: target unit, systemd target unit
A systemd target is a logical grouping of units that defines a system state or boot goal, similar to SysV init runlevels. Targets are used to organize and synchronize the startup of related services and other units.
A systemd target is a unit type (with a .target file extension) that acts as a synchronization point for other units. Rather than strictly sequential boot stages like traditional runlevels, targets allow multiple units to be started together based on dependencies and desired system state.
Common targets include multi-user.target (system fully booted with networking), graphical.target (desktop environment), and rescue.target (minimal recovery mode). You can view the current target with systemctl get-default and switch targets with systemctl isolate graphical.target.
Targets group related services through dependency declarations in unit files. For example, graphical.target depends on multi-user.target, which in turn depends on services like networking and logging. This hierarchical structure replaces the concept of runlevels (0-6) from older SysV init systems.