Configuring PM2 to daemonize a task

instructions.md

Configuring PM2 to daemonize a task

• Install pm2: sudo npm install pm2 -g
• Start the process: sudo pm2 start path/to/process.js
• Optionally pass command line flags like so: sudo pm2 start path/to/process.js -- --port 8080
• Optionally provide an alias like so: sudo pm2 start npm --name "your-app-alias" -- start
• Initialize the launch configuration: sudo pm2 startup
• Save the configuration: sudo pm2 save
• Optionally test that it works by restarting the server: sudo shutdown -r now

Without sudo

Some applications, Puppeteer for example cannot run with admin privileges. Follow these steps to daemonize the task without running the task with sudo.

• Run as the non root user: pm2 startup -u <YOUR NON ROOT USER>
• A command will be printed to the console, copy it and run it: env PATH=$PATH:/usr/bin pm2 startup systemd -u <YOUR NON ROOT USER> --hp /home/<YOUR NON ROOT USER>
• Switch to the root user and run (same as above): env PATH=$PATH:/usr/bin pm2 startup systemd -u <YOUR NON ROOT USER> --hp /home/<YOUR NON ROOT USER>
• Switch back to the non root user and run: pm2 start <YOUR /PATH/TO/INDEX.JS> --name <YOU_APPLICATION_NAME>
• Still as the non root user, run: pm2 save
• And then try rebooting: sudo shutdown -r now

Uninstalling pm2

• Kill the process: sudo pm2 kill
• Uninstall pm2: sudo npm remove pm2 -g
• After removal which pm2 won't return a version

Delete the /home/user/.pm2 directories by running: sudo rm -rf /home/user/.pm2 It's also possible that there will be an extra pm2 configuration file located in /etc/init.d/ that'll need to be removed.