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For a team VPS in October 2026, install Node.js with nvm rather than Ubuntu’s packaged Node.js, use Node 24 (the current Active LTS line), and commit an .nvmrc file so every developer uses the same runtime. Run the application as a dedicated non-root deploy user under PM2, persist PM2’s process list with pm2 startup and pm2 save, then put Nginx and SSL in front of the app.
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Node 26 was released on 5 May 2026 and is scheduled to become LTS on 28 October 2026. Keep production on Node 24 until Node 26 has entered LTS and your dependencies and deployment have been tested against it. Node 20 reached end of life on 30 April 2026, so it should not be the baseline for a new team environment.
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Choose the Node.js release before configuring the server
The runtime decision affects every developer, the CI build, native dependencies, and the process that runs on the VPS. Pin one major version in the repository instead of allowing each shell or deployment to select its own “latest” release.
| Node.js line | Status in October 2026 | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Node 24 | Active LTS | Use as the production and team-development baseline now. |
| Node 22 | Maintenance LTS | Keep only when an existing application still requires it; do not choose it for a new baseline when Node 24 is supported. |
| Node 26 | Released 5 May 2026; scheduled to become LTS on 28 October 2026 | Test on a staging branch now, then consider production after the LTS transition and dependency checks. |
| Node 20 | End of life since 30 April 2026 | Migrate away; it is not an appropriate production target for this setup. |
The Node.js project has also announced a cadence change beginning with 27.x: instead of two major releases each year, the project plans one major release per year and intends every release to become LTS. The reported schedule places Alpha in October 2026, Current in April 2027, and LTS in October 2027. Treat those future dates as a planning signal and verify the official release schedule before making a long-term upgrade commitment.
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Why nvm is the practical team choice
Ubuntu’s apt packages are convenient, but distribution repositories often lag behind Node.js releases and make side-by-side version switching awkward. nvm installs Node per user, permits several major versions on one VPS, and lets a project select its runtime through .nvmrc. That matters when one game service is being upgraded while another still depends on an older maintenance line.
| Install method | Strengths | Team trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| nvm | Per-user installations, multiple Node versions, project-level selection with .nvmrc, and straightforward upgrades. |
The shell must load nvm for every user that runs Node. Global npm tools belong to the user who installed them. |
| Ubuntu apt package | Simple system-package management and familiar OS updates. | Packages are often outdated, and switching versions for different projects is harder. |
Use nvm for the deploy account and document the selected version in the repository. Do not mix a system-wide apt Node installation with an nvm-managed deployment unless you have a specific reason and know which binary each service will execute.
Plan the VPS layout for a team
A small team can run several services on one VPS, but ownership must be unambiguous. Give the application and its PM2 daemon to a dedicated account such as deploy. Developers should connect with their own SSH accounts and use a controlled deployment process; they should not share the deploy account’s private key or run the application as root.
Minimum responsibilities
- Operating-system administration: one or more administrators manage Ubuntu updates, firewall rules, users, Nginx, and certificates.
- Application ownership: the deploy user owns the checked-out repository, the nvm installation, npm’s global tools, PM2, logs, and the running process.
- Developer access: each developer uses a personal SSH key and contributes through the repository and review workflow rather than editing production files manually.
- Runtime contract: the repository contains
.nvmrc, a lockfile, build scripts, and the PM2 ecosystem file used for deployment.
Create a non-root deploy user
- From an administrative account, create the account:
sudo adduser --disabled-password --gecos "" deploy - Install the deploy user’s SSH public key in
/home/deploy/.ssh/authorized_keys, set ownership todeploy, and restrict the directory and file permissions. - Keep day-to-day Node, npm, and PM2 commands in a shell owned by
deploy. Usesudoonly for system tasks such as Nginx configuration and the one-time PM2 startup command. - Choose one application directory, for example
/srv/game-api, and make the deploy user its owner. Keep secrets outside the Git checkout or inject them through the service environment.
Installing PM2 globally under one developer’s nvm tree and then asking another user to run it commonly produces “command not found” errors or a daemon that cannot see the application. A dedicated deploy user avoids that split ownership.
Install nvm and pin Node 24
Install nvm using the installer documented by the nvm project, then open a new login shell so the nvm initialization is loaded. Do not hard-code an old installer tag in team documentation; nvm release tags change, while the commands below remain the important part of the setup.
- Switch to the deploy account:
sudo -iu deploy - Confirm that nvm is loaded:
command -v nvm nvm --versionIf the first command prints nothing, start a new login shell or load the nvm initialization in the account’s shell profile before continuing.
- Install the current LTS line:
nvm install --ltsIn October 2026 this should resolve to Node 24. Check the result rather than assuming:
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node --version npm --version nvm current - Set the default for new shells:
nvm alias default 24This keeps interactive sessions on Node 24, while a project’s
.nvmrcremains the authoritative per-repository setting. - Install the exact major version explicitly if the LTS alias has moved by the time you provision another server:
nvm install 24 nvm alias default 24 nvm use 24
Record the observed node --version in the deployment log. The major version is the compatibility boundary; npm will report its own version separately.
Make every checkout use the same runtime
At the repository root, create a file named .nvmrc containing the major line selected for the service:
24Commit that file. A developer can then enter the project directory and run:
nvm install
nvm useWith an existing Node 24 installation, nvm use selects the version in .nvmrc. On a new machine, nvm install reads the same file and installs the required line. Team documentation and CI should execute the same check:
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node --versionUse the project’s lockfile with npm ci so each deployment resolves the dependency tree recorded by the team. A typical deployment sequence is:
- Change into the checkout:
cd /srv/game-api - Select the project runtime:
nvm use - Install the locked dependencies:
npm ci - Run the application’s build script, if the project has one:
npm run build - Start or reload the service through the committed PM2 ecosystem file.
Do not commit production secrets, private keys, or a developer’s shell profile. Keep environment-specific values in the process environment or a protected file readable by the deploy account.
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Run the app with PM2
PM2 supplies a Node-focused process manager, keeps the application running after a crash, and can restore it after a VPS reboot when its startup hook and saved process list are configured. Install it globally as the deploy user, not with sudo:
npm install -g pm2
pm2 --versionUse an ecosystem file
Store a small, reviewed configuration file in the repository. If the project’s package.json declares "type": "module", name the PM2 file with a .cjs extension so Node treats the configuration as CommonJS:
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module.exports = {
apps: [{
name: 'game-api',
script: './dist/server.js',
env: {
NODE_ENV: 'production',
PORT: 3000
}
}]
};Replace the script path with the file produced by your build. Keep the port bound to the local VPS interface; Nginx will publish the public HTTPS endpoint. Add only environment values that are safe to store in the repository. Inject database passwords, API keys, and signing secrets through the deployment environment instead.
Start, inspect, and persist the service
- From the project directory, select Node 24 and install/build the code as described above.
- Start the ecosystem file:
pm2 start ecosystem.config.cjs --env production - Check the process table:
pm2 status pm2 logs game-api - Verify the local health endpoint or service port from the VPS before exposing it through Nginx.
- Generate the system startup command:
pm2 startupPM2 prints a command that includes the deploy user and a
sudoinvocation. Copy and run that printed command exactly from an administrative shell. - Save the currently running process list:
pm2 save
pm2 startup installs the boot-time integration; pm2 save records which processes should be restored. Run pm2 save again after adding, removing, or renaming an application. Test the arrangement with a planned reboot and then check pm2 status and the application health endpoint.
Deploy a new build without changing ownership
Keep the same deploy user for checkout, dependency installation, build, and PM2. After updating the repository, run:
cd /srv/game-api
nvm use
npm ci
npm run build
pm2 reload ecosystem.config.cjs --env production
pm2 saveA reload keeps PM2 in control of the process while replacing the running code. If the new build fails its health check, inspect pm2 logs game-api, correct the release, and reload the known-good commit. Do not “fix” a permissions problem by running the whole deployment as root; repair ownership and the deploy user’s environment instead.
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Put Nginx and SSL in front of Node
Node should listen on an internal port while Nginx owns the public HTTP and HTTPS sockets. This separates internet-facing configuration from the application process and gives the team one place to manage redirects, request limits, and certificates.
Reverse-proxy configuration
Create an Nginx server block for the service’s DNS name. The following example forwards to a Node process listening on port 3000 and includes the headers commonly needed by applications that upgrade connections:
server {
listen 80;
server_name play.example.com;
location / {
proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:3000;
proxy_http_version 1.1;
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
}
}Replace the hostname and port with the values for the service. Enable the site, validate the configuration with sudo nginx -t, and reload Nginx with sudo systemctl reload nginx. Keep the Node port closed to the public network in the VPS firewall; only Nginx needs the public web ports.
Add HTTPS
Obtain a certificate for the real hostname, configure Nginx to listen on 443 with that certificate, and redirect HTTP to HTTPS. A Certbot-based Ubuntu installation can request and wire the certificate with:
sudo certbot --nginx -d play.example.comConfirm renewal is enabled by the certificate tooling, then test the public HTTPS URL and the application’s health endpoint. SSL belongs at the edge even when the Node process is private, because team dashboards, game APIs, authentication callbacks, and browser clients should not send credentials over plain HTTP.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Plan the Node 26 upgrade
Node 26 is available before its scheduled LTS date, but production guidance for Node.js is to use an Active or Maintenance LTS line. Keep the repository’s .nvmrc at 24 until the 28 October 2026 LTS transition and until the application has passed its own tests.
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Staging procedure
- Create a staging checkout or branch and install Node 26 without changing production’s default:
nvm install 26 nvm use 26 node --version - Run the locked install, build, test suite, and a full smoke test against a staging database or isolated game service.
- Check native npm modules, startup scripts, PM2 configuration, WebSocket behavior through Nginx, and any code that depends on Node’s runtime APIs.
- After Node 26 is LTS on 28 October 2026, update
.nvmrcin a reviewed change, deploy one environment, and monitor logs and health checks before moving the remaining services. - Keep the Node 24 installation available during the rollout so a rollback is a one-command runtime switch rather than an emergency package reinstall.
When the team updates .nvmrc, update CI, the VPS default alias, and the deployment notes together. A project-level pin is the source of truth; the account-level default is only the fallback for new shells.
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nvm is not found
The command is usually being run in a non-login shell or under a different user. Confirm that you are the deploy account, open a fresh login shell, and check the account’s shell profile for the nvm initialization. Do not install a second system Node to work around a missing profile; that creates competing binaries.
The wrong Node version runs under PM2
PM2 inherits the Node environment of the user and shell that started its daemon. Run nvm use in the project directory, inspect node --version, then restart or reload the PM2 process as the deploy user. Check the executable path with which node and inspect PM2’s process details if the service still reports another major line.
PM2 works manually but not after reboot
Run pm2 status as the deploy user. If the list is empty, the startup command was not installed for that user or the latest process list was never saved. Run pm2 startup, execute the exact command it prints with administrative privileges, start the ecosystem file, and finish with pm2 save.
PM2 cannot find the ecosystem file
Use the complete filename and extension. A project marked "type": "module" should use ecosystem.config.cjs for a CommonJS PM2 configuration. Run the command from the repository directory or provide the absolute path to the file.
Nginx returns 502 Bad Gateway
First check pm2 status and pm2 logs game-api. Then test the local upstream from the VPS, for example with curl http://127.0.0.1:3000/health. A stopped process, a port mismatch, or an application bound to a different address explains most 502 responses. After correcting the app, validate and reload Nginx rather than editing a live configuration blindly.
One developer’s global PM2 command is missing for another
That is expected with nvm: global npm binaries are installed per user and per nvm tree. Run PM2 under the dedicated deploy account and let developers trigger deployments through the team’s controlled workflow. Do not add random sudo npm install -g commands that bypass the selected nvm version.
Quick Recap
Production readiness checklist
- Node 24 is installed through nvm and verified with
node --version. - The repository commits
.nvmrccontaining24and a dependency lockfile. - The application, npm global tools, PM2 daemon, and files are owned by a non-root deploy user.
- The PM2 ecosystem file uses the correct extension for the project’s module type and contains no committed secrets.
pm2 startuphas been completed for the deploy user andpm2 savehas recorded the running process.- A reboot test confirms that the service returns without a manual login.
- Nginx proxies the internal Node port, the Node port is not publicly exposed, and HTTPS is active for the public hostname.
- The team has a tested staging path for Node 26 before changing production after its 28 October 2026 LTS date.
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