PM2 can't run npm properly on windows (Is windows not a supported enviroment?)

[eusousu]

The default windows node installation have a CMD script for running npm, usually located at C:\Program Files\nodejs\npm.cmd or wherever nodejs was installed on your device.

PM2 doesn't seem to know how to interpret CMD scripts and attempts to run it with node, that fails on the first line of execution with the following error:

Node.js v22.15.1
C:\Program Files\nodejs\npm.cmd:1
:: Created by npm, please don't edit manually.
^

SyntaxError: Unexpected token ':'
    at wrapSafe (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1662:18)
    at Module._compile (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1704:20)
    at Object..js (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1895:10)
    at Module.load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1465:32)
    at Function._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1282:12)
    at TracingChannel.traceSync (node:diagnostics_channel:322:14)
    at wrapModuleLoad (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:235:24)
    at Function.executeUserEntryPoint [as runMain] (node:internal/modules/run_main:170:5)
    at node:internal/main/run_main_module:36:49

The current workaround I found (here) is to create a pm2.json file with the following properties:

{
    "apps": [
        {
            "name": "<your-app-name>",
            "script": "C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\node_modules\\npm\\bin\\npm-cli.js",
            "args" : "<start|run [script]>",
            "exec_mode": "cluster"
        }
    ]
}

and exec it like:

pm2 start pm2.json

differently from the resource:

• the exec_mode: cluster needs to be present or else you will have a unclosable shell host spwn with the process. (this seems as another error, plz let me know if it already exists here, if not I can create the issue)
• the interpreter: none property need to be removed or you'll get a [PM2][ERROR] Process failed to launch spawn EFTYPE.
• the instances property didn't seem to make any change so I removed it.
• the "cwd" seems to be optional.

The problem seems to be well known as of #5571, #5871, #5608, #5616, #5551, #5428 going back at least 2 years but with no commentary from maintainers, which troubles me most! Is windows not a supported enviroment? It would be of much help if this was addressed.

[Chrahuldeveloper]

PM2 can’t run the Windows npm.cmd script directly because it tries to execute it as JavaScript, causing syntax errors.The workaround is to use npm-cli.js as the script with"exec_mode": "cluster"and avoid setting "interpreter": "none" to prevent errors.If this isn’t reported yet, opening an issue on PM2’s repo with these details would help others facing the same problem.

[natezhengbne]

Working version in Windows 11

const path = require('path');

module.exports = {
  apps: [
    {
      name: 'gv',
      cwd: "YOUR_PROJECT_FOLDER",
      script: 'C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\node.exe',   // explicitly use node.exe here
      args: [
        'C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\node_modules\\npm\\bin\\npm-cli.js',
        'run',
        'dev',
      ],
      exec_mode: 'fork',
    },
  ],
};

[eusousu]

Absolute path is a problem if one needs to make this config available to a team (my case).

[natezhengbne]

Absolute path is a problem if one needs to make this config available to a team (my case).

Just tossing out an example here, since it’s a JS file, feel free to use whatever relative path you desired.
But real talk: running PM2 on Windows is pure pain. I gave up.