mongo/docs/devcontainer-setup.md

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MongoDB Development with Devcontainers

IMPORTANT The devcontainer setup is currently in the Beta stage

This guide walks you through setting up a MongoDB development environment using devcontainers as the underlying container orchestration tool.

Prerequisites

Install Docker

Devcontainers requires Docker to be installed and running on your system, some examples of docker providers are:

Rancher Desktop

If you choose to use Rancher Desktop, you will be prompted to fill in some settings when you first launch the application. You can use the following settings:

  • Kubernetes: Choose whatever you like, this isn't required for devcontainers
  • Container Engine: dockerd (moby)
  • Configure Path: "Automatic"

Afterwards, it is recommended to increase the amount of CPU and Memory available to the container engine. You can do this by going to Preferences > Virtual Machine.

Setup Instructions

1. Clone the MongoDB Repository

git clone https://github.com/mongodb/mongo.git
cd mongo

2. Install the Remote Containers VSCode Extension

Install the Dev Containers extension from the VSCode marketplace.

3. Open the clone in VSCode

You may be automatically prompted to open the devcontainer and can confirm. If this does not happen, open the VSCode command palette and enter ">Dev Containers: Reopen in Container".

4. Access Your Development Environment

Once setup is complete, VS Code will automatically open with your containerized development environment. You'll have access to:

  • MongoDB source code mounted in the container
  • Persistent volumes for caches and configurations
  • Pre-configured VS Code settings for MongoDB development
  • All development tools ready to use

Container Features

Persistent Storage

The devcontainer uses several persistent volumes to maintain state across container restarts:

  • engflow_auth: Authentication credentials for EngFlow remote execution
  • python3-venv: Python virtual environment and dependencies
  • cache: Build caches and other temporary files

VS Code Integration

The container includes pre-configured VS Code settings for:

  • C/C++ development with clangd and clang-format
  • Python development with ruff and mypy
  • JavaScript development with ESLint and Prettier
  • Bazel integration for build system support
  • MongoDB-specific file associations and schemas

Additional Resources