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PM2 + New Next.js Project (TypeScript + TSX)

Concise, step-by-step instructions to install requirements, create a new Next.js (TypeScript) project, run it in development, build for production, start with PM2, and update PM2 after new builds. Follow in order on a Debian/Ubuntu Linux server.

Run these commands first.

Option A — Recommended: install Node using nvm (flexible, per-user, easy upgrades):

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y curl git build-essential

# Install nvm
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.0/install.sh | bash
source ~/.bashrc

# Inspect available Node versions, then install the one you want.
nvm list-remote
# Example: install the latest LTS (recommended) or install a specific version from the list:
nvm install --lts
# Or: nvm install <VERSION_FROM_LIST>

# Verify
node -v
npm -v

Option B — Alternative: NodeSource (system-wide package, less flexible than nvm):

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y curl git build-essential
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs

# Verify
node -v
npm -v

(Recommendation: use nvm on servers where you control a deploy user — it avoids global npm permission issues and makes upgrades easier.)

2) Install PM2 globally​

sudo npm install -g pm2
pm2 -v

3) Create the Next.js project (choose folder where you want the repo)​

Change to the directory where you want the new project folder created, then run npx:

cd /path/where/you/want/projects
npx create-next-app@latest my-next-app --typescript
# When prompted, choose defaults or options you prefer.
cd my-next-app
npm install

4) Run development server​

npm run dev
# Dev server available at http://localhost:3000

Stop dev when ready to build (Ctrl+C).

5) Build for production​

npm run build
# Optional: run locally to test the production build
npm start        # starts production Next server on default port 3000

6) Start the production app with PM2​

Start using the npm start script (recommended for Next.js server):

pm2 start "npm start" --name my-next-app
pm2 save

Confirm status and logs:

pm2 status
pm2 logs my-next-app --lines 200

7) Make PM2 restore processes on reboot​

Generate and run the startup command PM2 prints, then save:

pm2 startup
# Follow/execute the printed sudo command (example:)
# sudo env PATH=$PATH:/usr/bin pm2 startup systemd -u deploy --hp /home/deploy
pm2 save

Run the printed command using the user you want PM2 to run under (avoid running as root).

8) Update after changes / redeploy workflow​

Typical update steps on the server after you pull changes or copy a new build:

cd /path/to/my-next-app
git pull origin main          # or upload new code/build from CI
npm ci                       # or npm install
npm run build

# If app uses npm start (Node server)
pm2 restart my-next-app

# If you changed pm2 config or added/removed processes:
pm2 save

Alternative: if you prefer a zero-downtime reload (clustered apps), use:

pm2 reload my-next-app

9) Useful PM2 commands (cheatsheet)​

  • List processes: pm2 status
  • View logs: pm2 logs name
  • Tail logs: pm2 logs my-next-app --lines 200
  • Restart app: pm2 restart my-next-app
  • Reload zero-downtime: pm2 reload my-next-app
  • Stop / delete: pm2 stop my-next-app ; pm2 delete my-next-app
  • Save current process list: pm2 save
  • Show info: pm2 describe my-next-app

10) Notes & tips​

  • Run PM2 under a non-root deploy user. Use pm2 startup output to configure systemd for that user.
  • Keep secrets out of repo; use environment variables. Consider ecosystem.config.js for env per app.
  • If using Nginx as reverse proxy, proxy to localhost:3000 (or your configured PORT).
  • Test the production build locally (npm start) before putting it behind PM2/Nginx.
  • Consider CI to build artifacts and rsync/upload them to the server, then run the update commands above.