pm2 doesn't work with config json however works with direct command

Question

I am using pm2 to manage my node js server. Strangly when I use pm2.config.json file then it doesn't recognize the relative paths and node js server fails to load the file and try to kill node js process and when pm2 see node process is kills then it try to restart node and went to infinite loop. Following are details.

pm2.config.json

{
    "apps": [
        {
            "name": "Application",
            "script": "./server.js",            
            "watch": false            
        }
    ]
}

Command to start pm2:

pm2 start dist/BHS/pm2.config.json

Error thrown:

BHS Application-0 (err):     at Module._compile (module.js:456:26)
BHS Application-0 (err):     at Object.Module._extensions..js (module.js:474:10)
BHS Application-0 (err):     at Module.load (module.js:356:32)
BHS Application-0 (err):     at Function.Module._load (module.js:312:12)
BHS Application-0 (err):     at Function.Module.runMain (module.js:497:10)
BHS Application-0 (err): 
BHS Application-0 (err): module.js:340
BHS Application-0 (err):     throw err;
BHS Application-0 (err):           ^
BHS Application-0 (err): Error: Cannot find module './server/config/DBConfig.js'
BHS Application-0 (err):     at Function.Module._resolveFilename (module.js:338:15)
BHS Application-0 (err):     at Function.Module._load (module.js:280:25)
BHS Application-0 (err):     at Module.require (module.js:364:17)
BHS Application-0 (err):     at require (module.js:380:17)
BHS Application-0 (err):     at Object.<anonymous> (/Users/dilipkumar/Dilip/Projects/BHS/SourceCode/BHS/server.js:19:16)
BHS Application-0 (err):     at Module._compile (module.js:456:26)
BHS Application-0 (err):     at Object.Module._extensions..js (module.js:474:10)
BHS Application-0 (err):     at Module.load (module.js:356:32)
BHS Application-0 (err):     at Function.Module._load (module.js:312:12)
BHS Application-0 (err):     at Function.Module.runMain (module.js:497:10)

However same works wihtout pm2.config.json

pm2 start --watch  dist/BHS/server.js 

Please help.

Answer 1

According to PM2 docs, pm2 starts modules (applications) from where it is launched.

So best option would be to use absolute paths.

However, if you want to launch them through relative paths, then use 'cwd' option:

{
    "name": "Application",
    "script": "./server.js",
    "cwd": "/srv/node-app/dist/BHS"
}

PM2 should also support paths relative to user's homedir (~/path), if you want something more flexible than absolute paths but more reliable than 'fully' relative ones.