How to install MongoDB 2.0 on Mac OS X (>= Leopard)

README.markdown

How to install MongoDB 2.0 on Mac OS X (>= Leopard)

Procedure

The whole install procedure is like the following.
You would have to do 7 steps.

1. Download the latest tar file, and expand it.
2. Move it to /usr/local/, and make a symbolic link to the folder.
3. Add path to MongoDB binaries.
4. Make an user that "mongod" runs on, and group that owns the user.
5. Make a database directory.
6. Make a log file.
7. Install LaunchDaemon file.

Here are the details...

Keep it on mind that # means operating as the root, % means operating as an user.

Step 1

Download the latest tar file from http://www.mongodb.org/downloads , and expand it. Then you could see a folder like this: "mongodb-osx-x86_64-2.0.0". MongoDB is really simple, so that are the all the files that are needed to start up MongoDB.

Step 2

Move it to "/usr/local".

 # mv mongodb-osx-x86_64-2.0.0 /usr/local/

Then make a symbolic link to the folder as the name of shorter one so that you could access the folder easily.

 # ln -s /usr/local/mongodb-osx-x86_64-2.0.0 /usr/local/mongodb

Step 3

Add the file that points to the binaries into "/etc/paths.d" directory, then you can access the binaries directly on your console like this: "% mongo".

 # echo '/usr/local/mongodb/bin' > /etc/paths.d/mongodb

Step 4

Make an account that "mongod" uses. First of all, find an UniqueID that is not currently in use, using the following command.

 # dscl . list /Users UniqueID

Then, pick up one that is less than 500 not to be listed on the login window, and follow the commands below.

 # dscl . -create /Users/_mongo
 # dscl . -create /Users/_mongo PrimaryGroupID 0
 # dscl . -create /Users/_mongo UniqueID 250

You should change the UniqueID number depending on your environment.

 # dscl . -append /Users/_mongo RecordName "mongo"
 # dscl . -create /Users/_mongo UserShell /usr/bin/false

 # dscl . -create /Groups/_mongo
 # dscl . -create /Groups/_mongo PrimaryGroupID 250

If the same PrimaryGroupID as the user is already in use, change it.

 # dscl . -append /Groups/_mongo RecordName mongo
 # dscl . -append /Groups/_mongo GroupMembership _mongo

Step 5

Let's make a database directory.

 # mkdir /var/db/mongodb
 # chown mongo:mongo /var/db/mongodb

Step 6

Then make a log file.

 # touch /var/log/mongodb.log
 # chown mongo:mongo /var/log/mongodb.log

Step 7

Download LaunchDaemon file from this gist (org.mongodb.mongod.plist). If you have correctly followed the procedure above, you don't have to correct anything in the file.

Move it to /Library/LaunchDaemons/ , and have Mac load it.

 # mv org.mongodb.mongod.plist /Library/LaunchDaemons/
 # launchctl load /Library/LaunchDaemons/org.mongodb.mongod.plist

That's all! Now you must be able to access MongoDB! Type "mongo" on your console!

 % mongo

Enjoy it!

org.mongodb.mongod.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>org.mongodb.mongod</string>
	<key>ProgramArguments</key>
	<array>
		<string>/usr/local/mongodb/bin/mongod</string>
		<string>--dbpath</string>
		<string>/var/db/mongodb</string>
		<string>--logpath</string>
		<string>/var/log/mongodb.log</string>
	</array>
	<key>RunAtLoad</key>
	<true/>
	<key>OnDemand</key>
	<false/>
	<key>UserName</key>
	<string>_mongo</string>
</dict>
</plist>

Does this still work? I just tried it and came up empty...do you have to chown the plist file as well to root?

Yes, it seems you have to change the ownership of the plist before calling the launchctl command:

sudo chown root /Library/LaunchDaemons/org.mongodb.mongod.plist

I guess this implies x86? You won’t get it running on PowerPC from Intel binaries.