mongo/docs/devcontainer

MongoDB Development with Dev Containers

⚠️ BETA: The devcontainer setup is currently in Beta stage. Please report issues and feedback to the team.

📚 Documentation Index

This is the comprehensive guide for developing MongoDB using Dev Containers. Choose the guide that best fits your needs:

🚀 Getting Started

Start here if you're new to devcontainers or MongoDB development

• Prerequisites and system requirements
• Step-by-step setup instructions
• First-time configuration
• Verifying your setup

🎨 Customization

Personal customizations without modifying the devcontainer setup

• Persistent dotfiles
• Always-installed features

🏗️ Architecture & Technical Details

Understand how the devcontainer works under the hood

• Container architecture overview
• Dockerfile breakdown
• Volume management and persistence
• Toolchain installation process
• VS Code integration details
• Feature system explained

🔧 Troubleshooting

Having issues? Check here for solutions

• Common problems and fixes
• Performance optimization
• Platform-specific issues (macOS, Windows, Linux)
• Docker provider comparison
• Debugging tips

💡 Advanced Usage

Power user workflows and complex scenarios

• Working with multiple containers
• Backup and migration strategies
• Development workflows and debugging
• EngFlow telemetry integration

❓ FAQ

Quick answers to common questions

• Why use devcontainers?
• Named volumes vs bind mounts
• Updating the container
• Data persistence
• And more...

Quick Links

VS Code Documentation

• Dev Containers Overview
• devcontainer.json Reference
• Create a Dev Container
• Advanced Container Configuration
• Dev Containers FAQ
• Dev Containers Tips and Tricks

MongoDB Documentation

• MongoDB Build Documentation
• MongoDB Contributing Guide

What are Dev Containers?

Dev Containers provide a consistent, reproducible development environment using Docker containers. This ensures:

• ✅ Consistency: Everyone works with identical tooling and dependencies
• ✅ Isolation: Your host system stays clean
• ✅ Portability: Develop from any machine with Docker
• ✅ Quick Setup: Get started in minutes, not hours

Benefits for MongoDB Development

The MongoDB devcontainer provides:

1. Pre-configured Build Environment: All build tools, compilers, and dependencies ready to use
2. MongoDB Toolchain: Specific GCC/Clang versions required for building MongoDB
3. IDE Integration: VS Code settings optimized for C++, Python, JavaScript, and Bazel
4. Persistent Caching: Build artifacts and Python environments preserved across sessions
5. EngFlow Support: Built-in support for remote execution and caching

System Requirements

• Docker: Allocate as much RAM as possible to Docker (leave ~4-8 GB for host OS)
• CPU: Allocate as many cores as possible to Docker (leave 1-2 for host OS)
• Disk Space: 60+ GB recommended for container, tools, and build artifacts
• VS Code: Latest version with Remote - Containers extension
• Operating System:
  • macOS (ARM64 or x86_64)
  • Windows 10/11 with WSL2
  • Linux (x86_64 or ARM64)

Getting Help

• Documentation Issues: Open an issue or PR in the MongoDB repository
• Devcontainer Problems: Check Troubleshooting Guide
• General Questions: See FAQ

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Ready to get started? → Follow the Getting Started Guide