Node.js PM2 Deployment Guide

Install Node.js, run apps with PM2, and keep services resilient across reboots.

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1. Install Node.js LTS

Ubuntu / Debian

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_lts.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs
node -v
npm -v

Rocky / AlmaLinux / CentOS

curl -fsSL https://rpm.nodesource.com/setup_lts.x | sudo bash -
sudo dnf install -y nodejs
node -v
npm -v

2. Install PM2

sudo npm install -g pm2
pm2 -v

3. Run Your App with PM2

# Start app
pm2 start app.js --name myapp

# Or run npm start
pm2 start npm --name myapp -- start

# View process list
pm2 list

# Show logs
pm2 logs myapp

4. Persist Processes Across Reboot

# Save current process list
pm2 save

# Generate startup script
pm2 startup

# Run the printed sudo command, then save again
pm2 save

5. Recommended ecosystem.config.js

module.exports = {
  apps: [
    {
      name: "myapp",
      script: "app.js",
      instances: 1,
      exec_mode: "fork",
      watch: false,
      max_memory_restart: "300M",
      env: {
        NODE_ENV: "production",
        PORT: 3000
      }
    }
  ]
};

pm2 start ecosystem.config.js
pm2 save

6. Zero-Downtime Reload (Cluster Mode)

# In ecosystem config, use:
# instances: "max"
# exec_mode: "cluster"

pm2 reload myapp

7. Common Operations

pm2 restart myapp
pm2 stop myapp
pm2 delete myapp
pm2 monit
pm2 logs --lines 200
pm2 flush

8. Troubleshooting