Install Robo 3T (MongoDB GUI) on CentOS 8

Robo 3T (formerly RoboMongo) is a GUI tool for easy administration of MongoDB database servers. In this article, you will learn how to install Robo 3T on CentOS 8.

 

Table of Contents:

• What is Robo 3T?
• Environment Specification
• Updating CentOS 8 Software Packages
• Installing Robo 3T on CentOS 8
• Running Robo 3T for the First Time
• Conclusion

 

What is Robo 3T? :

Robo 3T (formerly RoboMongo) is a simple, lightweight, free and open-source GUI software for administration of MongoDB database servers. Robo 3T embeds the same engine and environment, that is part of mongo shell. Currently, it embeds the latest MongoDB 3.2 shell.

Robo 3T not only analyzes the semantic of the code, but also executes it in an internal JavaScript VM, allowing it to give users a runtime auto-completion that is impossible to obtain statically.

 

Environment Specification:

We are using a minimal CentOS 8 virtual machine with following specifications.

• CPU - 3.4 Ghz (2 cores)
• Memory - 2 GB
• Storage - 20 GB
• Operating System - CentOS 8.2
• Hostname – robomongo-01.centlinux.com
• IP Address - 192.168.116.229 /24

 

Updating CentOS 8 Software Packages:

Connect with robomongo-01.centlinux.com as root user by using a ssh client.

Update already installed software packages in CentOS 8 operating system.

[root@robomongo-01 ~]# dnf update -y
...
Upgraded:
  NetworkManager-1:1.22.8-5.el8_2.x86_64
  NetworkManager-libnm-1:1.22.8-5.el8_2.x86_64
  NetworkManager-team-1:1.22.8-5.el8_2.x86_64
  NetworkManager-tui-1:1.22.8-5.el8_2.x86_64
  bind-export-libs-32:9.11.13-5.el8_2.x86_64
  ca-certificates-2020.2.41-80.0.el8_2.noarch
  dbus-1:1.12.8-10.el8_2.x86_64
  dbus-common-1:1.12.8-10.el8_2.noarch
  dbus-daemon-1:1.12.8-10.el8_2.x86_64
  dbus-libs-1:1.12.8-10.el8_2.x86_64
  dbus-tools-1:1.12.8-10.el8_2.x86_64
  dnf-4.2.17-7.el8_2.noarch
  dnf-data-4.2.17-7.el8_2.noarch
  gnutls-3.6.8-11.el8_2.x86_64
  grub2-common-1:2.02-87.el8_2.noarch
  grub2-pc-1:2.02-87.el8_2.x86_64
  grub2-pc-modules-1:2.02-87.el8_2.noarch
  grub2-tools-1:2.02-87.el8_2.x86_64
  grub2-tools-efi-1:2.02-87.el8_2.x86_64
  grub2-tools-extra-1:2.02-87.el8_2.x86_64
  grub2-tools-minimal-1:2.02-87.el8_2.x86_64
  iptables-1.8.4-10.el8_2.1.x86_64
  iptables-ebtables-1.8.4-10.el8_2.1.x86_64
  iptables-libs-1.8.4-10.el8_2.1.x86_64
  kernel-tools-4.18.0-193.14.2.el8_2.x86_64
  kernel-tools-libs-4.18.0-193.14.2.el8_2.x86_64
  libdnf-0.39.1-6.el8_2.x86_64
  libnghttp2-1.33.0-3.el8_2.1.x86_64
  microcode_ctl-4:20191115-4.20200609.1.el8_2.x86_64
  open-vm-tools-11.0.5-3.el8.x86_64
  python3-dnf-4.2.17-7.el8_2.noarch
  python3-hawkey-0.39.1-6.el8_2.x86_64
  python3-libdnf-0.39.1-6.el8_2.x86_64
  python3-perf-4.18.0-193.14.2.el8_2.x86_64
  selinux-policy-3.14.3-41.el8_2.5.noarch
  selinux-policy-targeted-3.14.3-41.el8_2.5.noarch
  systemd-239-31.el8_2.2.x86_64
  systemd-libs-239-31.el8_2.2.x86_64
  systemd-pam-239-31.el8_2.2.x86_64
  systemd-udev-239-31.el8_2.2.x86_64
  yum-4.2.17-7.el8_2.noarch

Installed:
  kernel-4.18.0-193.14.2.el8_2.x86_64
  kernel-core-4.18.0-193.14.2.el8_2.x86_64
  kernel-modules-4.18.0-193.14.2.el8_2.x86_64

Removed:
  kernel-4.18.0-147.5.1.el8_1.x86_64
  kernel-core-4.18.0-147.5.1.el8_1.x86_64
  kernel-modules-4.18.0-147.5.1.el8_1.x86_64

Complete!

Our CentOS 8 server is now up-to-date.

 

Installing Robo 3T on CentOS 8:

You can download Robo 3T from their official website. Since, we are working from command-line, therefore, we are downloading the latest version of Robo 3T by using wget command. However, you can use a web browser such as Google Chrome to download the same.

[root@robomongo-01 ~]# cd /tmp
[root@robomongo-01 tmp]# wget https://download.studio3t.com/robomongo/linux/robo3t-1.4.0-linux-x86_64-12e54cc.tar.gz
--2020-09-05 20:02:07--  https://download.studio3t.com/robomongo/linux/robo3t-1.4.0-linux-x86_64-12e54cc.tar.gz
Resolving download.studio3t.com (download.studio3t.com)... 13.227.241.105, 13.227.241.37, 13.227.241.53, ...
Connecting to download.studio3t.com (download.studio3t.com)|13.227.241.105|:443... connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response... 200 OK
Length: 41651709 (40M) [application/x-gzip]
Saving to: ârobo3t-1.4.0-linux-x86_64-12e54cc.tar.gzâ

robo3t-1.4.0-linux- 100%[===================>]  39.72M  1.14MB/s    in 35s

2020-09-05 20:02:43 (1.14 MB/s) - ârobo3t-1.4.0-linux-x86_64-12e54cc.tar.gzâ saved [41651709/41651709]

Create a directory for Robo 3T software.

[root@robomongo-01 tmp]# mkdir /opt/robo3t

Extract Robo 3T tarball in the /opt/robo3t directory by using tar command.

[root@robomongo-01 tmp]# tar xf robo3t-1.4.0-linux-x86_64-12e54cc.tar.gz -C /opt/robo3t --strip-component=1

Create symbolic links for robo3t executable, so it can be run from anywhere.

[root@robomongo-01 tmp]# cd
[root@robomongo-01 ~]# ln -s /opt/robo3t/bin/robo3t /usr/local/bin/robo3t

 

Running Robo 3T for the First Time:

Execute the robo3t command to run Robo 3T application. If you are running Robo 3T on a headless server then you have to configure x11 forwarding with PuTTY and XMing to get the GUI output on your client machine.

[root@robomongo-01 ~]# robo3t

Since, you are running Robo 3T for the first time, therefore it will show the license agreement. Select 'I agree' and then click on Next.

You need to provide contact information on this screen. Click on Finish.

You are now reached at the MongoDB connections screen. It is empty because there isn't any connection added yet.

Click on Create to add a MongoDB connection.

Provide a MongoDB server address and port. If you do not have a MongoDB server than you can follow our previous post to install MongoDB on CentOS 8 server.

Click on Authentication tab.

If you have enabled Access Control on your MongoDB server than you have to configure settings here.

We have enabled the Access Control on our MongoDB server, therefore, we are setting the parameters on this screen accordingly.

Click on Test to check connectivity and authentication of the MongoDB connection.

It shows that our MongoDB connection is successful.

Click on Close.

We are again at the MongoDB connections screen. But this time, there is a new MongoDB connection, that we have created above.

Select the connection and click on Connect.

The Robo 3T is now connected to our MongoDB server and fetched the meta data.

 

Conclusion:

We have successfully installed Robo 3T (MongoDB GUI) on CentOS 8. MongoDB: The Definitive Guide: Powerful and Scalable Data Storage by O'Reilly Media is a very good book on the MongoDB administration and we are highly recommend this for the MongoDB database administrators.