How to fix Error: Command killed with signal SIGTERM (process killed) in Node.js

import { exec } from "child_process";

// PROBLEM - 5 second timeout may be too short
exec("long-running-command", { timeout: 5000 }, (error, stdout, stderr) => {
  if (error) {
    console.error(error); // Error: Command killed with signal SIGTERM
  }
});

// SOLUTION - increase timeout or remove it
exec("long-running-command", { timeout: 30000 }, (error, stdout, stderr) => {
  // Now has 30 seconds instead of 5
});

import { exec } from "child_process";

// PROBLEM - default maxBuffer of 200KB may be too small
exec("command-with-large-output", (error, stdout) => {
  // May fail with SIGTERM if output exceeds 200KB
});

// SOLUTION - increase maxBuffer to 10MB
exec("command-with-large-output", {
  maxBuffer: 10 * 1024 * 1024 // 10MB
}, (error, stdout) => {
  // Now supports larger output
});

// OR use spawn with streaming for very large output
import { spawn } from "child_process";
const child = spawn("command-with-large-output");
child.stdout.on("data", (data) => {
  // Stream data instead of buffering all at once
  process.stdout.write(data);
});

// In your child process script
process.on("SIGTERM", async () => {
  console.log("Received SIGTERM, cleaning up...");
  
  // Close database connections
  await db.close();
  
  // Finish writing files
  await fs.promises.writeFile("state.json", JSON.stringify(state));
  
  // Exit gracefully
  process.exit(0);
});

// Also handle SIGINT for Ctrl+C
process.on("SIGINT", async () => {
  console.log("Received SIGINT, cleaning up...");
  process.exit(0);
});

# PROBLEM - npm will not forward signals properly
CMD ["npm", "start"]

# SOLUTION - run node directly
CMD ["node", "dist/index.js"]

# OR use exec form to ensure node is PID 1
CMD ["node", "dist/index.js"]

// In Procfile (Heroku/Railway)
// PROBLEM
web: npm start

// SOLUTION
web: node dist/index.js

# PROBLEM - shell form creates intermediate process
CMD npm start

# SOLUTION - exec form makes node PID 1
CMD ["node", "dist/index.js"]

#!/bin/bash
# PROBLEM - node runs as child of bash
node dist/index.js

# SOLUTION - exec replaces bash with node
exec node dist/index.js

# Kubernetes deployment.yaml
apiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
spec:
  template:
    spec:
      terminationGracePeriodSeconds: 60  # Default is 30
      containers:
      - name: app
        image: myapp:latest

# Docker - increase stop timeout from default 10s to 30s
docker stop --time 30 container_name

# Check which process is the parent
ps aux | grep node
pstree -p | grep node

# Check system logs for signals sent
journalctl -u your-service.service | grep SIGTERM

# In Node.js, log when child processes exit
import { spawn } from "child_process";
const child = spawn("command");

child.on("exit", (code, signal) => {
  if (signal === "SIGTERM") {
    console.log("Child killed with SIGTERM");
    console.log("Parent PID:", process.pid);
    console.log("Child PID was:", child.pid);
  }
});