the command:
mongodb-server/mongod --dbpath ~/data/dbThis is the way to run MongoDB manually and in the foreground.
It doesn’t run as a hidden service, but rather “hijacks” your terminal to show you the logs in real time.
~/mongodb-server/mongod: You are directly calling the server executable (mongod). By using the full path, you ensure that you are using the specific version installed in your home directory, ignoring any other versions you might have installed via system or Homebrew.
–dbpath: This is the most important parameter. It tells MongoDB which folder to read and write data from (your databases, collections, and indexes).
~/data/db: This is the path to the folder where the information will be saved.
Terminal Lock: You will see a cascade of text (logs). While the server is running, you will not be able to use that terminal window for other commands.
File Verification: MongoDB will check if there is already data in ~/data/db. If the folder is empty, it will create the base files for the storage engine (WiredTiger).
By default, it will open port 27017. From that moment on, your applications or Compass will be able to connect.
If you press Ctrl + C in that terminal, the process will stop safely (graceful shutdown).
differences between “mongod –dbpath…” and “brew services”:
“mongod –dbpath…”:
- You see all the logs and errors live
- If you close the terminal, the server will shut down
- The parameters are passed manually in the command
- Rapid development or error debugging
“brew services”:
- It runs in the background (invisible)
- It remains active even if you log out
- Read the configuration from a .conf file
- Daily use and production
If you receive a “Permission denied” or “Data directory not found” error when running it, make sure the folder exists by first running: mkdir -p ~/data/db
The command does not create a collection directly, but rather starts the factory (the server) and tells it where to store the boxes (the data files)
When you run mongod –dbpath ~/data/db, what you are doing is turning on the database engine.
If the folder is empty, MongoDB creates the necessary structure to be able to store data in the future
If the folder already contains data MongoDB “maps” everything there (including your previous collections) so that it is available for querying
To interact with collections, you need a “client” (such as the mongosh terminal, MongoDB Compass, or a Node.js/Python application)
MongoDB is schemaless. As soon as you insert the first document into a collection that doesn’t exist, MongoDB creates it automatically
To load an existing collection You just need to connect your client to the server that’s already running with the correct --dbpath. Once logged in, you’ll see that your data is still there.
Start the engine (and note the data): “mongod –dbpath …”
Import a collection (from a JSON/CSV): “mongoimport –db … –collection … –file …”
Create/View collections: Using the Mongosh shell or MongoDBCompass