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If node -v works over SSH but your application will not start, Node.js is probably installed correctly. That command proves only that a Node executable can run in your current shell; it does not prove that the application entry point, service environment, permissions, or listening socket is correct. The reliable fix is to identify the exact binary and script, run the app directly, inspect the systemd unit and journal, then test file and network access as the service user.
What “Node.js is installed but not running” actually means
A Linux Node deployment has several independent layers. Treating them as one problem leads to wasted reinstalls and misleading tests.
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- Runtime: the
nodeexecutable exists and can start. - Entry point: the JavaScript file or package command points to the application you intend to run.
- Process configuration: the service has the required working directory, user, environment variables, and permissions.
- Network readiness: the process stays alive and listens on the expected address and port.
node --version checks only the first item for the current shell. A service can still fail with a missing script, a module-resolution error, an absent environment variable, a permission denial, an occupied port, or an exception during startup. Work through the checks below in order; each step narrows the failure without changing unrelated parts of the server.
Start with a quick, context-aware triage
Run these commands in the same account and context where the failure occurs, then repeat the relevant checks as the systemd service user.
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command -v node
node --version
readlink -f "$(command -v node)"
which npm
npm --version| Observation | What it establishes | Next action |
|---|---|---|
node --version prints a version |
Node can execute in this shell | Verify the script and service context |
command -v node returns a path |
This shell’s executable location is known | Use that absolute path when testing systemd |
| Shell finds Node, systemd does not | The service environment differs from your login shell | Set an absolute ExecStart= and explicit variables |
| Direct launch prints an error | The application fails before systemd is involved | Fix the first application error, then retest the unit |
| Direct launch stays running but the unit exits | The unit configuration or service permissions differ | Inspect systemctl show, the journal, and the service user |
1. Prove which Node binary and entry point are being used
Resolve the executable, not just its version
Shell profiles, version managers, and custom installation paths can make node resolve differently for an interactive user and for PID 1 (systemd). Record the real executable:
command -v node
node --version
readlink -f "$(command -v node)"
which npm
npm --versionIf the resolved path is, for example, /usr/bin/node, use that full path in the service. Do not assume that a profile in ~/.bashrc, ~/.profile, or a version-manager initialization script is loaded when systemd starts a unit.
Use an absolute application path
Change to the application directory and invoke the intended file explicitly:
cd /srv/myapp
/usr/bin/node /srv/myapp/server.jsNode resolves a non-absolute program entry point relative to the current working directory. If the file cannot be found, it throws an error. A wrong WorkingDirectory= can therefore look like a broken Node installation even when the runtime is healthy. An absolute script path removes that ambiguity.
Confirm that the entry point really exists and that the directory contains the expected package files:
ls -l /srv/myapp/server.js
ls -la /srv/myapp
find /srv/myapp -maxdepth 2 -type f ( -name package.json -o -name package-lock.json ) -printIf your application is started by an npm script, inspect package.json and test the script from the application directory. Once the script works directly, prefer its concrete Node entry point in systemd when practical; it makes the executable and arguments visible in service status output.
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2. Run the application outside systemd and capture the first error
A direct launch separates application defects from service-manager defects. Use the same absolute binary and script that you plan to place in ExecStart=:
cd /srv/myapp
/usr/bin/node /srv/myapp/server.jsLeave the process in the foreground while diagnosing it. Record the first error exactly rather than focusing on the final “process exited” message. Common classes have different fixes:
- Missing entry point: correct the filename, deployment path, or working directory.
- Module-resolution failure: install the application’s declared production dependencies in the deployed directory and check that the launch command matches the project layout.
- Permission denial: test the same read and write operations as the service account.
- Missing environment variable: provide the variable in the unit or an
EnvironmentFile=; do not rely on a login profile. - Address already in use: identify the process owning the port before changing the application.
- Initialization exception: fix the application’s configuration or startup code indicated by the stack trace.
If the process starts and remains in the foreground, stop it with Ctrl+C after testing. A successful manual launch proves that the application can run under that account and directory; it does not yet prove that the systemd unit supplies the same context.
3. Inspect systemd state and boot-time logs
Use status and the journal together
For a unit named myapp.service, run:
sudo systemctl status myapp.service --no-pager
sudo journalctl -u myapp.service -b --no-pager -n 200
sudo systemctl cat myapp.service
sudo systemctl show myapp.service -p User -p WorkingDirectory -p ExecStart -p Environmentsystemctl status shows the current state, main process, recent exit information, and a short log excerpt. journalctl shows the service’s startup sequence and standard error for the current boot. The unit file and expanded properties reveal what systemd actually loaded, rather than what you intended to configure.
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Recognize the most useful failure indicators
| Log or state | Likely meaning | Where to investigate |
|---|---|---|
status=1/FAILURE |
Node started and the application exited with a failure | Run the exact command manually and read the first stack trace or configuration error |
203/EXEC |
systemd could not execute the configured program | Check the absolute ExecStart= path, execute permission, and interpreter path |
| “No such file or directory” | The binary, script, working directory, or an early dependency path is wrong | Verify every path with ls and use an absolute entry point |
| Repeated start attempts followed by throttling | The process keeps exiting and systemd limits rapid restarts | Fix the first startup error, then restart after the unit is corrected |
| Environment value absent | The service did not inherit your interactive shell’s variables | Add Environment= or EnvironmentFile= and verify with systemctl show |
Always inspect the current boot with -b when the symptom is “it worked before reboot.” Older boots can be queried separately, but the current boot normally contains the evidence needed to fix the active failure.
4. Make the Node.js unit explicit and reproducible
A minimal production unit should state who runs the process, where it runs, which executable starts it, and which configuration it receives. For example:
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[Unit]
Description=My Node.js application
After=network-online.target
Wants=network-online.target
[Service]
Type=simple
User=myapp
WorkingDirectory=/srv/myapp
ExecStart=/usr/bin/node /srv/myapp/server.js
Restart=on-failure
Environment=NODE_ENV=production
# EnvironmentFile=/etc/myapp/myapp.env
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.targetWhy each setting matters
User=myappprevents the application from requiring root privileges and makes permission failures reproducible.WorkingDirectory=/srv/myappcontrols how relative file paths are resolved.ExecStart=/usr/bin/node /srv/myapp/server.jsavoids PATH and relative-entry-point surprises.Restart=on-failureretries unexpected exits but does not hide a clean, intentional stop.Environment=andEnvironmentFile=put required configuration in the service definition rather than an interactive profile.After=network-online.targetandWants=network-online.targetexpress the unit’s network-start ordering; they do not repair an application that binds to the wrong address or port.
Keep secrets in a root-readable environment file with appropriate permissions instead of embedding them in a broadly readable unit. Verify what systemd loaded:
sudo systemctl show myapp.service -p ExecStart -p EnvironmentGive the service private writable directories
Do not make the entire application tree writable just because the app needs a cache, upload directory, socket, or runtime file. systemd provides StateDirectory= for persistent private service state and RuntimeDirectory= for runtime data that belongs under the service’s managed directories. Add them under [Service] when your application needs them:
StateDirectory=myapp
RuntimeDirectory=myappAdjust the application configuration to use those paths, or create narrowly scoped directories owned by myapp. This keeps code and dependencies read-only while giving the process only the write access it needs.
Reload, enable, and test the corrected unit
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now myapp.service
sudo systemctl restart myapp.service
sudo systemctl status myapp.service --no-pagerdaemon-reload makes systemd reread a changed unit. enable --now both registers the unit for the normal boot target and starts it immediately. After any change, inspect the journal again instead of assuming a successful command means a healthy application.
5. Test files and commands as the service user
A command that succeeds as your SSH account can fail for myapp. Test the exact executable, entry point, and directory traversal under the configured account:
sudo -u myapp test -r /srv/myapp/server.js
sudo -u myapp /usr/bin/node --version
namei -l /srv/myapp/server.jsnamei -l displays permissions for every directory component, which helps find a parent directory that blocks traversal even when the file itself is readable.
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Repeat the checks for every path the application writes: uploads, caches, generated files, Unix sockets, logs, and state directories. A service can read its JavaScript but exit when it tries to create a session file or migration lock. Correct ownership and directory modes narrowly; avoid chmod -R 777, which grants unnecessary access and can conceal the real ownership mistake.
If the application is deployed from a user’s home directory, verify permissions on the home and parent directories as well. Moving production code to a dedicated path such as /srv/myapp often makes ownership and traversal rules easier to reason about, but the decisive test is whether the configured service user can perform each required operation.
6. Confirm that Node is listening on the expected socket
Find the owner of the port
sudo ss -ltnp
sudo ss -ltnp '( sport = :3000 )'Replace 3000 with the port configured for your application. If another process owns it, stop or reconfigure that process only after identifying why it is there. If no listener appears, the application may have exited, may be listening on a different port, or may bind only after a failing initialization step.
Test locally before a proxy, firewall, or DNS
curl -v http://127.0.0.1:3000/A successful local response proves that a process is reachable on that address and port from the server itself. It does not prove that external traffic is routed correctly. If local curl fails, continue with Node and systemd diagnostics rather than changing DNS or firewall rules.
Pay attention to the bind address:
127.0.0.1accepts local connections only. A reverse proxy on the same host can reach it, but direct external clients cannot.- An address or port different from the proxy configuration produces connection failures even when Node is healthy.
- Changing the bind address or port requires changing the application environment or unit consistently, followed by a restart and a new
ssandcurlcheck.
7. Check Node’s permission model only when it is enabled
Recent Node deployments may enable the permission model with the --permission command-line option or through NODE_OPTIONS. Do not troubleshoot this feature unless the unit or launch scripts actually contain it.
Find permission flags in the service and application
grep -R --line-number -- '--permission|NODE_OPTIONS' /etc/systemd/system /srv/myapp 2>/dev/nullWith enforcement enabled, operations outside the granted policy can fail with ERR_ACCESS_DENIED. The denied categories can include filesystem reads or writes, network access, child processes, workers, native add-ons, WASI, FFI, and the inspector. A service may therefore pass a basic version check and still fail during initialization when it reads configuration or opens a socket.
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Audit before enforcing a tighter policy
Node provides permission-audit mode, which records violations while allowing the operation to continue. Use it to identify the application’s actual requirements, then replace broad allowances with the smallest set that supports the workload. For example, a policy might need a filesystem read allowance for /srv/myapp and network access:
/usr/bin/node --allow-fs-read=/srv/myapp --allow-net /srv/myapp/server.jsOnly add categories and paths that the application demonstrably needs. After changing flags, inspect the journal for any remaining access errors and confirm that the service still starts after a clean restart.
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This symptom almost always indicates a context difference rather than a damaged runtime. During SSH, your shell may load a PATH modification, a version-manager script, exported secrets, or a working directory that systemd never sees. At boot, systemd starts the unit with the declared user, paths, and environment.
- Run
command -v nodein the shell where the app works. - Put the returned absolute path in
ExecStart=. - Set
WorkingDirectory=and an absolute script path. - Move required variables into
Environment=orEnvironmentFile=. - Verify the effective values with
systemctl show myapp.service -p User -p WorkingDirectory -p ExecStart -p Environment. - Test the executable and file access as the configured user with
sudo -u myapp. - Enable the unit, reboot if necessary, and inspect
journalctl -u myapp.service -bfor the current boot.
Do not “fix” this by adding profile-sourcing commands to random startup files. A self-contained unit is easier to audit, reproduce, and recover.
Choose a startup method deliberately
For one Linux server, systemd is usually the clearest baseline because it exposes unit state, exit codes, boot ordering, logs, and restart behavior through standard commands. A shell launch or separate process manager can work, but it changes where startup authority and failure evidence live.
| Axis | systemd unit | Shell or other process manager |
|---|---|---|
| Startup authority | Managed by the operating system and boot targets | Depends on a shell session, wrapper, or separate manager |
| Environment reproducibility | Variables and paths can be declared explicitly | Often depends on profile files or manager-specific configuration |
| Failure visibility | systemctl status and the journal expose state and stderr |
Evidence may be split among terminal output, wrapper logs, and manager commands |
| Restart behavior | Configured with directives such as Restart=on-failure |
Controlled by the shell script or manager’s own policy |
| Boot recovery | enable ties startup to the normal boot target |
Requires a separate boot integration mechanism |
The choice does not remove the need to verify the binary, entry point, permissions, and listener. It only determines which component owns startup and where you inspect its failures.
Quick Recap
A compact failure-to-fix decision path
- Version command fails: repair the Node installation or PATH for the account being tested; do not debug systemd yet.
- Version works but the direct script fails: fix the application path, dependencies, configuration, permissions, or startup exception.
- Direct script works but systemd reports
203/EXEC: correct the executable path and execute permissions inExecStart=. - Systemd reports
status=1/FAILURE: compare the unit’s user, directory, command, and environment with the successful manual launch; read the first journal error. - Unit is active but no port is listening: inspect the application’s configured port, startup logs, and whether it exits after reporting “active.”
- Port is listening but local curl fails: verify the address, port, protocol, and application route.
- Local curl works but external access fails: investigate the reverse proxy, firewall, or DNS only after the local listener is confirmed.
ERR_ACCESS_DENIEDappears: inspect--permission,NODE_OPTIONS, and audit output, then grant only the required capability.
Final verification checklist
command -v nodeandreadlink -fidentify the binary used by the deployment.- The absolute entry point exists and launches successfully from the declared working directory.
User=,WorkingDirectory=,ExecStart=, and required environment values are explicit in the unit.- The service user can read application files and write only the required state and runtime directories.
systemctl statusshows the unit active without a restart loop, and the journal contains no unresolved startup error.ss -ltnpshows the expected listener, andcurl http://127.0.0.1:PORT/reaches it locally.- If the permission model is enabled, every denied operation has a justified allow flag and the service survives a restart.
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