Using apt-get to install always fails referencing MongoDB not starting

Question

I tried to install mongodb last week for an unrelated project and now whenever I try to sudo apt-get install any other package I get an error that says:

 * Starting database mongodb            [fail]

How did my mongodb install mess with apt-get, how can I resolve the issues so I can successfully install packages?

Answer 1

Try removing MongoDB:

sudo apt-get remove mongodb

Alternatively, check to see what the MongoDB logs say about the reason for the failure to start and fix it so the failure no longer happens. The logs are usually to be found in /var/log/mongodb/mongodb.log. Some common problems:

• Permissions (this can also be the issue if there is nothing in the logs at all)
• Already running (but service not aware) - shut it down
• Keyfile permissions (if using auth)
• Locale Issues

You may have other issues, of course, but these are good starting points.