How to install MongoDB on Mac OS X

A guide to show you how to install MongoDB on Mac OS X.

1. MongoDB 2.2.3

2. Mac OS X 10.8.2

1. Download MongoDB

Get MongoDB from official website, extracts it :

$ cd ~/Download
$ tar xzf mongodb-osx-x86_64-2.2.3.tgz
$ sudo mv mongodb-osx-x86_64-2.2.3 /usr/local/mongodb

2. MongoDB Data

By default, MongoDB write/store data into the /data/db folder, you need to create this folder manually and assign proper permission.

$ sudo mkdir -p /data/db
$ whoami
mkyong
$ sudo chown mkyong /data/db

Note
Permissin is required to avoid following locking error :

Unable to create/open lock file: /data/db/mongod.lock

3. Add mongodb/bin to $PATH

Create a ~/.bash_profile file and assign /usr/local/mongodb/bin to $PATH environment variable, so that you can access Mongo’s commands easily.

$ cd ~
$ pwd
/Users/mkyong
$ touch .bash_profile
$ vim .bash_profile
export MONGO_PATH=/usr/local/mongodb
export PATH=$PATH:$MONGO_PATH/bin
##restart terminal
$ mongo -version
MongoDB shell version: 2.2.3

4. Start MongoDB

Start MongoDB with mongod and make a simple mongo connection with mongo.

Terminal 1

$ mongod
MongoDB starting : pid=34022 port=27017 dbpath=/data/db/ 64-bit host=mkyong.local
//...
waiting for connections on port 27017

Terminal 2

$ mongo
MongoDB shell version: 2.2.3
connecting to: test
> show dbs
local	(empty)

Note
If you don’t like the default /data/db folder, just specify an alternate path with --dbpath

$ mongod --dbpath /any-directory

5. Auto Start MongoDB

To auto start mongoDB, create a launchd job on Mac.

$ sudo vim /Library/LaunchDaemons/mongodb.plist

Puts following content :

/Library/LaunchDaemons/mongodb.plist

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN"
  "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
  <key>Label</key>
  <string>mongodb</string>
  <key>ProgramArguments</key>
  <array>
    <string>/usr/local/mongodb/bin/mongod</string>
  </array>
  <key>RunAtLoad</key>
  <true/>
  <key>KeepAlive</key>
  <true/>
  <key>WorkingDirectory</key>
  <string>/usr/local/mongodb</string>
  <key>StandardErrorPath</key>
  <string>/var/log/mongodb/error.log</string>
  <key>StandardOutPath</key>
  <string>/var/log/mongodb/output.log</string>
</dict>
</plist>

Load above job.

$ sudo launchctl load /Library/LaunchDaemons/mongodb.plist
$ ps -ef | grep mongo
    0    71     1   0  1:50PM ??         0:22.26 /usr/local/mongodb/bin/mongod
  501   542   435   0  2:23PM ttys000    0:00.00 grep mongo

Try restart your Mac, MongoDB will be started automatically.

References

1. mongoDB website

2. Install mongoDB on Mac OS X

3. launchd.plist example

4. Designing Daemons on Mac OS X

5. Mac Launchd example