There are six boot modes in Linux meaning that there are six ways to initialize your Linux box. The modes and their properties are:
Mode 0: Halt (Shutdown)
Mode 1: Single user mode
Mode 2: Not yet implemented
Mode 3: Full multi-user command line mode
Mode 4: Not used.
Mode 5: Full multi-user Graphical User Interface mode
Mode 6: Reboot
The default boot mode is selected at the installation time. This default mode can be changed by editing the file /etc/inittab.
Search for this line in this file:
id:3:initdefault:
Change the value from 3 to whatever you like from 0 to 6. 0 is the halt state so don’t do that and 6 in the reboot state so don’t ever try to do that or you’ll keep on looping the reboots on your linux box 
. Usually 3 is used from CLI (Command Line Interface) option and 5 is used for GUI (Graphical User Interface) option.
Technorati Tags: linux boot levels, init levels, change boot mode, change from text mode to GUI, change from GUI to text mode
I think the numbers associated with the boot modes vary according to the distro. The ones you’ve quoted are for Redhat , right? I think other distros have slightly different numbers.
You can also change the mode on a running Linux machine using the telinit command:
telinit 1
You have to be logged in as root though or sudo in.
Yes .. these numbers are specific to Redhat. That’s why I have filed the post under Redhat. Debian has a slightly different init number scheme.
And thankyou very much for the command. I knew it but had forgotten it.
Your welcome. Seems like you know everything.
Haha .. actually I don’t I write what I learn so that it can help when I forget things and also help others in their hard times.
Hii…. Can we change the Boot Loader from LILO to GRUB in Fedora Core 6 after Installation..?
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