MongoDB without AVX (mongodb-no-avx)

Docker image to build MongoDB from source without AVX CPU instruction requirements. This is designed for use with mbentley/docker-omada-controller on older CPUs that don't support AVX instructions.

Based on the work from alanedwardes/mongodb-without-avx, updated for MongoDB 7.x with SCons build system.

Pre-built Images

Pre-built images are available from GitHub Container Registry:

docker pull ghcr.io/fenio/mongodb-no-avx:7.0.28
docker pull ghcr.io/fenio/mongodb-no-avx:7.0
docker pull ghcr.io/fenio/mongodb-no-avx:7
docker pull ghcr.io/fenio/mongodb-no-avx:latest  # Same as 7.0.28

Why?

MongoDB 5.0+ requires AVX (Advanced Vector Extensions) CPU instructions by default. Many older CPUs (pre-2011) and some virtualization platforms don't support AVX. This project builds MongoDB from source with AVX optimizations disabled.

Technical Details

MongoDB 7.x uses SCons build system with the experimental-optimization option that defaults to +sandybridge, which sets -march=sandybridge compiler flag requiring AVX support. This build patches the SConstruct to remove the sandybridge default, allowing MongoDB to use a generic x86-64 baseline:

• Does NOT require AVX instructions
• Works on Intel Westmere (2010) and newer, AMD Bulldozer (2011) and newer
• Compatible with virtualization platforms that don't expose AVX

Building the Image

Quick Build

docker build -t mongodb-no-avx:7.0.28 .

Build with Specific Version

docker build \
  --build-arg MONGO_VERSION=7.0.28 \
  --build-arg NUM_JOBS=4 \
  -t mongodb-no-avx:7.0.28 .

Build Arguments:

• MONGO_VERSION: MongoDB version to build (default: 7.0.28)
• NUM_JOBS: Number of parallel SCons build jobs (leave empty for auto-detect)

Note: Building MongoDB from source takes a LONG time (2-6+ hours depending on your hardware) and requires significant resources:

• RAM: 8GB+ recommended
• Disk: 30GB+ free space
• CPU: More cores = faster build

Usage

Standalone MongoDB

docker run -d \
  --name mongodb \
  -p 27017:27017 \
  -v mongodb-data:/data/db \
  ghcr.io/fenio/mongodb-no-avx:7.0.28

With Omada Controller (Bridge Networking)

Use docker-compose.yml for bridge networking mode:

docker compose up -d

This will:

1. Pull/build the MongoDB image
2. Start MongoDB container
3. Start Omada Controller connected to the external MongoDB

With Omada Controller (Host Networking - Recommended)

Use docker-compose.host.yml for host networking mode (better for device discovery):

docker compose -f docker-compose.host.yml up -d

Configuration

Environment Variables for Omada Controller

When using external MongoDB with Omada Controller, set these environment variables:

environment:
  - MONGO_EXTERNAL=true
  - EAP_MONGOD_URI=mongodb://mongodb-host:27017/omada

MongoDB Connection String

The connection string format is:

mongodb://[username:password@]host:port/database

For local/container networking:

• Bridge mode: mongodb://omada-mongodb:27017/omada
• Host mode: mongodb://127.0.0.1:27017/omada

Available Versions

The build supports MongoDB 7.0.x versions. To build a specific version:

# MongoDB 7.0.28 (default - recommended for Omada Controller)
docker build --build-arg MONGO_VERSION=7.0.28 -t mongodb-no-avx:7.0.28 .

Note: MongoDB 8.x uses Bazel build system which has enterprise module dependencies that complicate community builds. This Dockerfile is optimized for MongoDB 7.x which uses the SCons build system.

Volumes

• /data/db - MongoDB data directory
• /data/configdb - MongoDB configuration database (for sharded clusters)

Ports

• 27017 - MongoDB default port

Troubleshooting

Build Fails with Memory Errors

MongoDB/SCons compilation can be memory-intensive. If you run out of memory:

1. Increase Docker memory limits (8GB+ recommended)
2. Reduce NUM_JOBS build argument
3. Add swap space to your system

Build Fails with Disk Space Errors

SCons builds require significant disk space:

1. Ensure 30GB+ free space
2. Clean Docker build cache: docker builder prune
3. Remove old images: docker image prune -a

Container Won't Start

Check logs:

docker logs mongodb

Common issues:

• Data directory permissions
• Port already in use
• Insufficient system resources

Omada Controller Can't Connect

1. Verify MongoDB is running: docker ps
2. Check MongoDB logs: docker logs omada-mongodb
3. Verify network connectivity between containers
4. Ensure MONGO_EXTERNAL=true is set
5. Verify the EAP_MONGOD_URI is correct

How It Works

MongoDB 7.x builds with SCons and uses the experimental-optimization option in SConstruct that defaults to ['+sandybridge']. This sets architecture-specific compiler flags:

-march=sandybridge -mtune=generic -mprefer-vector-width=128

The patch changes the default to [] (empty), which allows MongoDB to use the standard x86-64 baseline without AVX requirements.

License

This project follows the same licensing as the original mongodb-without-avx project (GPL-3.0).

MongoDB itself is licensed under the Server Side Public License (SSPL).