A Step-by-Step Guide: How to Install MongoDB on Ubuntu for Linux Users

Introduction to MongoDB

MongoDB is a popular, open-source, NoSQL database management system that has gained widespread adoption in recent years. It is designed to be scalable, flexible, and highly performant, making it an excellent choice for modern web applications and data-intensive projects. As a Linux user, you may find it beneficial to have MongoDB installed on your Ubuntu system to leverage its powerful features and capabilities.

Benefits of using MongoDB

1. Flexible Data Model: MongoDB’s document-oriented data model allows you to store and manage semi-structured or unstructured data with ease, making it a great fit for applications that deal with diverse and evolving data requirements.
2. High Scalability: MongoDB is designed to be highly scalable, both vertically and horizontally, allowing you to handle large amounts of data and high traffic loads without compromising performance.
3. Powerful Querying: MongoDB’s rich query language, including support for complex aggregations and geospatial queries, enables you to efficiently retrieve and manipulate data to meet your application’s needs.
4. Automatic Sharding: MongoDB’s automatic sharding feature allows you to distribute data across multiple servers, ensuring high availability and improved performance as your data grows.
5. Comprehensive Ecosystem: MongoDB has a thriving ecosystem with a wide range of tools, libraries, and integrations, making it easier to develop and deploy applications on top of the database.

System requirements for installing MongoDB on Ubuntu

Before we dive into the installation process, let’s make sure your Ubuntu system meets the necessary requirements:

• Ubuntu Version: MongoDB supports various Ubuntu versions, including 18.04 LTS, 20.04 LTS, and 22.04 LTS.
• Processor: Any modern CPU should be sufficient, but a multi-core processor is recommended for better performance.
• RAM: The amount of RAM required depends on the size of your data and the complexity of your queries. As a general guideline, we recommend at least 4GB of RAM.
• Disk Space: The amount of disk space needed will depend on the size of your data. Make sure you have enough storage space to accommodate your database requirements.

Step 1: Update and upgrade your Ubuntu system

Before installing MongoDB, it’s a good practice to update and upgrade your Ubuntu system to ensure you have the latest security patches and bug fixes. Open a terminal and run the following commands:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade -y

This will update the package lists and upgrade all installed packages on your system.

Step 2: Import the MongoDB public GPG key

To ensure the integrity of the MongoDB packages, we need to import the MongoDB public GPG key. Run the following command:

wget -qO - https://www.mongodb.org/static/pgp/server-6.0.asc | sudo apt-key add -

This command downloads the MongoDB public GPG key and adds it to your system’s trusted keys.

Step 3: Create a MongoDB list file

Next, we need to create a MongoDB list file to tell the package manager where to find the MongoDB packages. Run the following command:

echo "deb [ arch=amd64,arm64 ] https://repo.mongodb.org/apt/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) mongodb-org-6.0 main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mongodb-org-6.0.list

This command creates a new file called mongodb-org-6.0.list in the /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ directory, which tells the package manager to look for MongoDB packages in the official MongoDB repository.

Step 4: Update the package list

After creating the MongoDB list file, update the package list to include the new MongoDB packages:

sudo apt-get update

This command updates the package lists, including the newly added MongoDB packages.

Step 5: Install MongoDB

Now, you can install the MongoDB package using the following command:

sudo apt-get install -y mongodb-org

This command installs the latest version of the MongoDB server, client, and associated tools.

Step 6: Start and enable MongoDB

After the installation, you need to start the MongoDB service and enable it to start automatically on system boot. Run the following commands:

sudo systemctl start mongod
sudo systemctl enable mongod

The first command starts the MongoDB service, and the second command enables the service to start automatically when your system boots up.

Step 7: Verify the MongoDB installation

To verify that MongoDB is installed and running correctly, you can use the following command:

sudo systemctl status mongod

This command will show the status of the MongoDB service. If the service is running, you should see a message similar to “Active: active (running)”.

Alternatively, you can connect to the MongoDB shell by running the following command:

mongo

This will start the MongoDB shell, where you can interact with the database and run various commands.

Additional configurations for MongoDB on Ubuntu

Depending on your specific requirements, you may need to perform additional configurations for MongoDB on your Ubuntu system. Some common configurations include:

1. Configuring MongoDB Authentication: By default, MongoDB runs without authentication. If you need to secure your MongoDB instance, you can enable authentication and create user accounts.
2. Configuring MongoDB Logging: MongoDB provides various logging options that you can configure to suit your needs, such as setting the log file location, log level, and log rotation.
3. Configuring MongoDB Replication: If you require high availability and fault tolerance, you can set up MongoDB replication, which allows you to create a cluster of MongoDB servers that replicate data among themselves.
4. Configuring MongoDB Sharding: For large-scale deployments, you can configure MongoDB sharding to distribute data across multiple servers, improving scalability and performance.

Consult the official MongoDB documentation for detailed information on these and other configuration options.

Troubleshooting common MongoDB installation issues

While the installation process is generally straightforward, you may encounter some common issues. Here are a few troubleshooting steps you can take:

1. Package Installation Errors: If you encounter any errors during the package installation process, make sure your system’s package lists are up-to-date and that you have the necessary permissions to install packages.
2. Service Start Failures: If the MongoDB service fails to start, check the system logs for any error messages and ensure that the required system dependencies are installed.
3. Connectivity Issues: If you’re unable to connect to the MongoDB shell or your application is unable to connect to the database, check the firewall settings, network configurations, and MongoDB service status.
4. Data Storage Issues: If you encounter issues with data storage or disk space, ensure that the MongoDB data directory has the correct permissions and that your system has sufficient storage space.

Refer to the official MongoDB documentation or seek help from the MongoDB community for more guidance on troubleshooting specific issues.

Conclusion

In this step-by-step guide, we have covered the process of installing MongoDB on an Ubuntu system. By following these instructions, you should now have a fully functional MongoDB instance up and running on your Linux machine. Remember to explore the additional configuration options and troubleshooting steps to ensure your MongoDB setup meets your specific requirements.

If you found this guide helpful, be sure to check out our other articles on MongoDB and database management. Don’t hesitate to reach out to our team if you have any further questions or need assistance with your MongoDB deployment.