Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsIf Puppeteer works in your shell but fails under PM2, first compare the runtime user, HOME, PATH, browser cache, and environment variables seen by the PM2 process. Then confirm Chrome is installed and set any executablePath to a real executable on that host. Treat No usable sandbox! as a separate Linux security-policy problem—not as a missing-browser error.
Diagnose the error before changing Chrome flags
PM2 does not necessarily run your app with the same assumptions as your interactive SSH shell. A different Unix user, home directory, working directory, environment, or browser cache can make Puppeteer unable to find a browser that appears to work when launched manually. A sandbox failure has a different cause, so preserve the full error rather than applying a generic launch-flag fix.
- Capture the complete PM2 stderr message. Distinguish “Could not find Chrome” from “Tried to find the browser at the configured path … but no executable was found,” “No usable sandbox!,” permission errors, and navigation timeouts. The wording points to different failure layers.
- Check the PM2 process context. Establish which Unix user runs the app and what
HOME,PATH, working directory,PUPPETEER_CACHE_DIR, andPUPPETEER_EXECUTABLE_PATHit actually receives. Compare those values with the shell where Puppeteer succeeds. - Verify the browser and cache. Confirm the expected browser is installed in the cache available to that process, or identify the system browser executable you intend to use.
- Check the launch path and sandbox separately. An invalid executable path cannot be repaired by changing sandbox flags; a valid browser path does not fix host sandbox policy.
Change one layer at a time and restart the PM2 app after changing its configuration. This makes it easier to tell whether the fix addressed browser discovery, environment propagation, or Linux security restrictions.
Make PM2 use the right environment
Put production values in the ecosystem file rather than relying on variables exported only in the shell that starts PM2. Here is the minimal pattern, using an illustrative system Chrome path and cache directory:
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// ecosystem.config.js
module.exports = {
apps: [{
name: 'renderer',
script: './server.js',
env_production: {
NODE_ENV: 'production',
PUPPETEER_EXECUTABLE_PATH: '/usr/bin/google-chrome-stable',
PUPPETEER_CACHE_DIR: '/var/lib/renderer/.cache/puppeteer'
}
}]
};The paths above are examples, not defaults. Replace them with locations that exist on the PM2 host and are readable or executable by the PM2 user. Use the browser installer’s reported location or check system-browser candidates with command -v google-chrome and command -v chromium.
PM2 documents that environment changes made at the CLI require --update-env on restart or reload. For example, after changing CLI-provided variables, run:
pm2 restart renderer --update-envWhen relying on ecosystem-file variables, restart or reload using that ecosystem file so PM2 reapplies its configuration. If a variable looks correct in your login shell but is absent inside the running app, inspect the process’s effective environment rather than assuming the shell exported it to PM2.
Install or locate a browser available to the PM2 user
When using the puppeteer package
Puppeteer normally downloads a compatible Chrome for Testing browser and a chrome-headless-shell as part of installation. The download is associated with Puppeteer’s installation and cache environment. If a package manager blocked install scripts, the browser download may have been skipped; if PM2 runs as another user or with another home directory, it may look in a different cache.
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Install the browser in the same project and cache environment the PM2 app will use:
npx puppeteer browsers installAlternatively, allow Puppeteer’s install script to run when installing the package. Afterward, ensure the PM2 user can access the resulting cache and that the app has not overridden the executable path with a stale value.
When using puppeteer-core
puppeteer-core does not download or select a browser for you. You must manage the browser installation and pass the launch settings programmatically. Puppeteer configuration files and environment variables do not supply defaults for puppeteer-core, so setting PUPPETEER_EXECUTABLE_PATH alone is not enough unless your app reads that variable and passes it to launch().
Check for stale cache or executable overrides
If you changed from a bundled browser to a system browser—or moved the app—remove an obsolete override or replace it with the new real path. A browser path copied from a developer laptop is not evidence that the same file exists on the PM2 machine. An application bundle directory is not itself an executable.
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Set an explicit executable path only when it exists
For the regular puppeteer package, a minimal launch can rely on Puppeteer’s managed browser when the installation and cache are correct:
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({ headless: true });If you need to use a system browser or a known installed browser path, pass the actual absolute executable path:
const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
executablePath: process.env.PUPPETEER_EXECUTABLE_PATH,
headless: true
});Here is a complete small script for a project that has puppeteer installed. It uses the environment variable when set and otherwise lets Puppeteer choose its managed browser. It opens a page, writes a screenshot, and closes Chrome even if navigation or capture fails:
const puppeteer = require('puppeteer');
async function main() {
const options = { headless: true };
if (process.env.PUPPETEER_EXECUTABLE_PATH) {
options.executablePath = process.env.PUPPETEER_EXECUTABLE_PATH;
}
const browser = await puppeteer.launch(options);
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com', { waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded' });
await page.screenshot({ path: 'shot.png' });
} finally {
await browser.close();
}
}
main().catch((error) => {
console.error(error);
process.exitCode = 1;
});For puppeteer-core, install and manage Chrome yourself, then provide a path explicitly in code—for example, set options.executablePath to a host-verified absolute path. Do not assume the environment variable is interpreted automatically by that package.
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Fix Linux sandbox failures without weakening isolation by default
No usable sandbox! points to Chrome’s Linux sandbox setup or host policy, not necessarily to a missing browser. Puppeteer’s troubleshooting guidance discusses AppArmor restrictions on user namespaces on some Ubuntu releases and setuid-sandbox setup. The right remedy depends on the host’s distribution, security configuration, and privilege context.
- Run Chrome under a non-privileged service user where possible and configure the host’s sandbox appropriately.
- If the host uses AppArmor or user-namespace restrictions, have the system administrator review the applicable policy and supported sandbox setup for that host.
- Use the setuid-sandbox approach only when it is appropriate for the operating system and installed Chrome configuration; do not copy a permission change without understanding its security implications.
- Treat
--no-sandboxas a last resort only for trusted content. Puppeteer explicitly discourages it because it weakens browser isolation.
A sandbox workaround that makes one deployment launch may expose the process to greater risk. Prefer correcting the host’s sandbox configuration over adding --no-sandbox to every launch.
Map common PM2 and Chrome symptoms to a fix
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
Could not find Chrome (ver. …) |
The install script was blocked, the cache is elsewhere, PM2 has another HOME, or an override is stale. |
Install the browser in the same project/cache environment; align the PM2 user and cache; remove or correct stale overrides. (Puppeteer Installation.) |
Tried to find the browser at the configured path … but no executable was found |
executablePath points to a missing file or a directory. |
Remove the override to use Puppeteer’s managed browser, or set it to an existing executable on the PM2 host. (Configured browser not found.) |
No usable sandbox! |
Missing sandbox capability, AppArmor/user-namespace restriction, or unsuitable privilege context. | Configure host sandboxing and non-root execution where possible. Consider --no-sandbox only for trusted content, with the loss of isolation understood. (Puppeteer troubleshooting.) |
| Works in SSH but fails under PM2 | Different user, HOME, PATH, cache, working directory, or stale PM2 environment. |
Inspect the app’s effective runtime context; set ecosystem variables and restart/reload so PM2 applies them. Use --update-env for CLI environment changes. (PM2 Environment Variables.) |
| Chrome processes remain after restarts | Child-process cleanup or PID 1/process-reaping behavior, especially in a container context. | Review application shutdown behavior and use an init/process-reaping strategy appropriate to the host so child processes are terminated. (Puppeteer troubleshooting.) |
Prevent timeouts and cleanup failures from becoming recurring incidents
Not every failed capture is a browser-discovery error. Once Chrome launches, a slow page or a navigation timeout belongs to a different layer. Keep the full error and determine whether Puppeteer failed to launch, failed to navigate, or failed during capture before changing Chrome installation or sandbox settings.
Also verify that your application closes the browser when a job finishes or throws. If PM2 restarts the app while Chrome child processes remain, examine shutdown and process-reaping behavior rather than changing executablePath. Puppeteer’s troubleshooting guidance specifically notes zombie-process concerns in PID 1 and container contexts.
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Frequently asked questions
Does changing PM2’s working directory fix a missing Chrome error?
Only if the working directory is part of the mismatch—for example, your app’s expected files or project-local install are relative to it. A working-directory change does not install Chrome or make an incorrect absolute executablePath valid.
Should I pin Chrome and Puppeteer versions?
Keep the browser compatible with the Puppeteer version and installation method you deploy. Puppeteer’s managed download is intended to provide a compatible browser; with a system browser, you take on browser-package and version maintenance yourself.
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