Introduction
MongoDB is a popular NoSQL document database that many developers use to manage data for their applications. If you are working with MongoDB on a Mac, it’s essential to keep your database version up to date to benefit from the latest features, bug fixes, and performance improvements. This tutorial will guide you through the process of checking the MongoDB version and upgrading to the latest release on macOS.
Checking MongoDB Version
To determine the version of MongoDB installed on your Mac, open your terminal and run the following command:
mongod --version
This outputs the version information of your MongoDB installation. Here’s an example of what you might see:
db version v4.4.6
Build Info: {
"version": "4.4.6",
"gitVersion": "f6e7b4d537c1b1baca4b875fbaf8b3c513c2e0f4",
... more info ...
}
Using Homebrew to Manage MongoDB
Homebrew is an excellent package manager for macOS that simplifies the installation and management of software packages like MongoDB. If you don’t have Homebrew installed, you can install it by running this command in your terminal:
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
Once you have Homebrew installed, use the following command to add the MongoDB tap, which will enable you to install MongoDB via Homebrew:
brew tap mongodb/brew
Installing MongoDB
After adding the MongoDB tap, you can install MongoDB with Homebrew using the following command:
brew install mongodb-community
Starting and Stopping the MongoDB Service
Upon installation, MongoDB does not start automatically. You can start the MongoDB service by running the following command:
brew services start mongodb/brew/mongodb-community
To stop the service, use the command:
brew services stop mongodb/brew/mongodb-community
Upgrading MongoDB
To upgrade your MongoDB version via Homebrew, make sure all homebrew packages are up to date before proceeding:
brew update
After updating Homebrew, upgrade MongoDB with the following command:
brew upgrade mongodb-community
This will fetch the latest MongoDB version and upgrade your installation accordingly. After an upgrade, it is good practice to check the version again to verify the success of the process:
mongod --version
If a newer version of MongoDB is released that requires changes to MongoDB configuration files or if you need to update the storage engine, additional steps may need to be performed. Refer to the official MongoDB documentation for detailed instructions relating to those specific versions and changes.
Conclusion
Keeping MongoDB up to date on your Mac is a straightforward process with Homebrew, and it is a crucial aspect of database management. Always ensure that you back up your data before performing upgrades and check the MongoDB release notes for any specific migration steps that may be required for major version changes.
