PM2 runs your ecosystem file AS AN APP unless its name contains `.config.` (e.g. `ecosystem.config.cjs`)
A JavaScript ecosystem file is read as configuration only when its name contains `.config.`. `pm2 start deploy.cjs` launches deploy.cjs itself as a script named "deploy", and the apps it defines never start.
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What happens (reproduced)
The same file, defining one app named defined with instances: 2, under two names:
pm2 start eco.cjs→ one process namedecorunningeco.cjsitself, fork mode. The appdefineddoes not exist.pm2 start eco.config.cjs→ twodefinedworkers running the declared script.
Fix
- Name ecosystem files
*.config.cjs(or.js/.mjs). - If a stray process appeared, delete it by name or id, then
pm2 saveso it does not come back at boot.
Conditions
- pm2
- 6.0.14
- node
- 24.19.0
- os
- Ubuntu 24.04
- observed
- 2026-10-01
Sources
- PM2 ecosystem file — Application declaration: script, interpreter, exec_mode, instances, node_args.