How To Install MongoDB on Debian 12

In this tutorial, we will show you how to install MongoDB on Debian 12. MongoDB, a robust NoSQL database, has gained immense popularity for its scalability and flexibility, making it a go-to choice for modern applications.

This article assumes you have at least basic knowledge of Linux, know how to use the shell, and most importantly, you host your site on your own VPS. The installation is quite simple and assumes you are running in the root account, if not you may need to add ‘sudo‘ to the commands to get root privileges. I will show you the step-by-step installation of the MongoDB on a Debian 12 (Bookworm).

Prerequisites

• A server running one of the following operating systems: Debian 12 (Bookworm).
• It’s recommended that you use a fresh OS install to prevent any potential issues.
• SSH access to the server (or just open Terminal if you’re on a desktop).
• An active internet connection. You’ll need an internet connection to download the necessary packages and dependencies for MongoDB.
• A non-root sudo user or access to the root user. We recommend acting as a non-root sudo user, however, as you can harm your system if you’re not careful when acting as the root.

Install MongoDB on Debian 12 Bookworm

Step 1. Before we install any software, it’s important to make sure your system is up to date by running the following apt commands in the terminal:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install build-essential libjpeg-dev libpng-dev libtiff-dev

This command will refresh the repository, allowing you to install the latest versions of software packages.

Step 2. Installing MongoDB on Debian 12.

You need to import the MongoDB GPG key to your system. This key is used to verify the authenticity of the MongoDB packages:

curl -fsSL https://pgp.mongodb.com/server-7.0.asc |sudo gpg  --dearmor -o /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/mongodb-server-7.0.gpg

Next, you need to create a MongoDB list file in the /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ directory. You can create this file using the following command:

echo "deb [ arch=amd64,arm64 ] https://repo.mongodb.org/apt/ubuntu jammy/mongodb-org/7.0 multiverse" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mongodb-org-7.0.list

After creating the MongoDB list file, you need to update the package list and install MongoDB on your Debian 12 system with the following command:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install mongodb-org

Once the installation is complete, you can start the MongoDB service using the following command:

sudo systemctl start mongod

You can also enable the MongoDB service to start automatically at boot time using the following command:

sudo systemctl enable mongod

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

mongo --eval 'db.runCommand({ connectionStatus: 1 })'

Step 3. Example Command Line – Working with MongoDB:

Now that MongoDB is up and running, let’s explore some basic database and collection operations using the MongoDB shell.

• A. Access MongoDB Shell:

Access the MongoDB shell by entering the following command:

mongo

• B. Database Operations:

Let’s create, select, and drop databases to get started:

use my_database

Check the currently selected database:

db

Drop the selected database (CAUTION: Irreversible action):

db.dropDatabase()

C. Collection Operations:

Now, let’s explore how to manage collections within databases:

db.createCollection("my_collection")

Display all collections in the current database:

show collections

Drop a specific collection (replace “my_collection” with the name of the collection you want to delete):

db.my_collection.drop()

Step 4. Security Best Practices:

Securing your MongoDB installation is essential to protect sensitive data from unauthorized access.

• A. Securing MongoDB:

Configure authentication and access control to secure MongoDB:

sudo nano /etc/mongod.conf

Uncomment the “security” section and add the following lines to enable authentication:

security:
authorization: enabled

• B. Setting Admin Credentials:

Create an admin user with appropriate privileges for MongoDB:

mongo
use admin

Create an admin user with a username and password (replace “admin_user” and “admin_password” with your desired credentials):

db.createUser({ user: "admin_user", pwd: "admin_password", roles: ["userAdminAnyDatabase", "dbAdminAnyDatabase", "readWriteAnyDatabase"] })

Congratulations! You have successfully installed MongoDB. Thanks for using this tutorial for installing the latest version of MongoDB on Debian 12 Bookworm. For additional help or useful information, we recommend you check the official MongoDB website.