Here I’ll show you how to get SQL Server up and running on your Mac in less than half an hour. And the best part is, you’ll have SQL Server running locally without needing any virtualization software.

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Prior to SQL Server 2017, if you wanted to run SQL Server on your Mac, you first had to create a virtual machine (using VirtualBox, Parallels Desktop, VMware Fusion, or Bootcamp), then install Windows onto that VM, then finally SQL Server. This is still a valid option depending on your requirements (here’s how to install SQL Server on a Mac with VirtualBox if you’d like to try that method).

Starting with SQL Server 2017, you can now install SQL Server directly on to a Linux machine. And because macOS is Unix based (and Linux is Unix based), you can run SQL Server for Linux on your Mac. The way to do this is to run SQL Server on Docker.

Database For Mac

So let’s go ahead and install Docker. Then we’ll download and install SQL Server.

  1. Install Docker

    Download the (free) Docker Community Edition for Mac (unless you’ve already got it installed on your system). This will enable you to run SQL Server from within a Docker container.

    To download, visit the Docker CE for Mac download page and click Get Docker.

    To install, double-click on the .dmg file and then drag the Docker.app icon to your Application folder.

    What is Docker?

    Docker is a platform that enables software to run in its own isolated environment. SQL Server (from 2017) can be run on Docker in its own isolated container. Once Docker is installed, you simply download — or “pull” — the SQL Server on Linux Docker Image to your Mac, then run it as a Docker container. This container is an isolated environment that contains everything SQL Server needs to run.

  2. Launch Docker

    Launch Docker the same way you’d launch any other application (eg, via the Applications folder, the Launchpad, etc).

    When you open Docker, you might be prompted for your password so that Docker can install its networking components and links to the Docker apps. Go ahead and provide your password, as Docker needs this to run.

  3. Increase the Memory (optional)

    By default, Docker will have 2GB of memory allocated to it. SQL Server needs at least 2GB. However, it won’t hurt to increase it if you can.

    In my case, I increased it to 4GB.

    To do this, select Preferences from the little Docker icon in the top menu:

    Then finish off by clicking Apply & Restart

  4. Download SQL Server

    Now that Docker is installed, we can download and install SQL Server for Linux.

    Open a Terminal window and run the following command.

    This downloads the latest SQL Server 2019 for Linux Docker image to your computer.

    You can also check for the latest container version on the Docker website if you wish.

  5. Launch the Docker Image

    Run the following command to launch an instance of the Docker image you just downloaded:

    But of course, use your own name and password. Also, if you downloaded a different Docker image, replace mcr.microsoft.com/mssql/server:2019-latest with the one you downloaded.

    Here’s an explanation of the parameters:

    -dThis optional parameter launches the Docker container in daemon mode. This means that it runs in the background and doesn’t need its own Terminal window open. You can omit this parameter to have the container run in its own Terminal window.
    --name sql_server_demoAnother optional parameter. This parameter allows you to name the container. This can be handy when stopping and starting your container from the Terminal.
    -e 'ACCEPT_EULA=Y'The Y shows that you agree with the EULA (End User Licence Agreement). This is required in order to have SQL Server for Linux run on your Mac.
    -e 'SA_PASSWORD=reallyStrongPwd123'Required parameter that sets the sa database password.
    -p 1433:1433This maps the local port 1433 to port 1433 on the container. This is the default TCP port that SQL Server uses to listen for connections.
    mcr.microsoft.com/mssql/server:2019-latestThis tells Docker which image to use. If you downloaded a different one, use it instead.

    Password Strength

    If you get the following error at this step, try again, but with a stronger password.

    I received this error when using reallyStrongPwd as the password (but of course, it’s not a really strong password!). I was able to overcome this by adding some numbers to the end. However, if it wasn’t just a demo I’d definitely make it stronger than a few dictionary words and numbers.

  6. Check the Docker container (optional)

    You can type the following command to check that the Docker container is running.

    If it’s up and running, it should return something like this:

  7. Install sql-cli (unless already installed)

    Run the following command to install the sql-cli command line tool. This tool allows you to run queries and other commands against your SQL Server instance.

    This assumes you have NodeJs installed. If you don’t, download it from Nodejs.org first. Installing NodeJs will automatically install npm which is what we use in this command to install sql-cli.

    Permissions Error?

    If you get an error, and part of it reads something like Please try running this command again as root/Administrator, try again, but this time prepend sudo to your command:

  8. Connect to SQL Server

    Now that sql-cli is installed, we can start working with SQL Server via the Terminal window on our Mac.

    Connect to SQL Server using the mssql command, followed by the username and password parameters.

    You should see something like this:

    This means you’ve successfully connected to your instance of SQL Server.

  9. Run a Quick Test

    Run a quick test to check that SQL Server is up and running and you can query it.

    For example, you can run the following command to see which version of SQL Server your running:

    If it’s running, you should see something like this (but of course, this will depend on which version you’re running):

    If you see a message like this, congratulations — SQL Server is now up and running on your Mac!

    You can now go ahead and run SQL queries against SQL Server.

    See my free SQL Tutorial for Beginners to get started with writing simple queries against SQL Server.

A SQL Server GUI for your Mac – Azure Data Studio

Azure Data Studio (formerly SQL Operations Studio) is a free GUI management tool that you can use to manage SQL Server on your Mac. You can use it to create and manage databases, write queries, backup and restore databases, and more.

Azure Data Studio is available on Windows, Mac and Linux.

Here are some articles/tutorials I’ve written for Azure Data Studio:

Another Free SQL Server GUI – DBeaver

Another SQL Server GUI tool that you can use on your Mac (and Windows/Linux/Solaris) is DBeaver.

DBeaver is a free, open source database management tool that can be used on most database management systems (such as MySQL, PostgreSQL, MariaDB, SQLite, Oracle, DB2, SQL Server, Sybase, Microsoft Access, Teradata, Firebird, Derby, and more).

I wrote a little introduction to DBeaver, or you can go straight to the DBeaver download page and try it out with your new SQL Server installation.

Limitations of SQL Server for Linux/Mac

SQL Server for Linux does have some limitations when compared to the Windows editions (although this could change over time). The Linux release doesn’t include many of the extra services that are available in the Windows release, such as Analysis Services, Reporting Services, etc. Here’s a list of what’s available and what’s not on SQL Server 2017 for Linux and here’s Microsoft’s list of Editions and supported features of SQL Server 2019 on Linux.

Another limitation is that SQL Server Management Studio is not available on Mac or Linux. SSMS a full-blown GUI management for SQL Server, and it provides many more features than Azure Data Studio and DBeaver (at least at the time of writing). You can still use SSMS on a Windows machine to connect to SQL Server on a Linux or Mac machine, but you just can’t install it locally on the Linux or Mac machine.

If you need any of the features not supported in SQL Server for Linux, you’ll need SQL Server for Windows. However, you can still run SQL Server for Windows on your Mac by using virtualization software. Here’s how to install SQL Server for Windows on a Mac using VirtualBox.

Managing Standard Query Language for your applications is now easier than before. With the best tools that deliver high standard results available on the market today, you no longer have to depend on the regular text editors, like Notepad++ and Sublime Text, to write, edit, test, and debug your queries. Because these tools are for the developers who already have knowledge in SQL it shouldn’t be difficult for you to get your way around any of the software solutions discussed as follows.

Related:

SQL Query

SQL Query is available in both free and pro version, and it is the best roll you can use for straightforward and complex SQL server optimization; this is not just a standalone software solution; it is also the best tool that features multiple views of plan data in the Standard Query Language Server Management Studio. You can upgrade the software to access premium features.

dbForge Schema

DB Forge Schema is the right tool for developers who are looking for flexible, reliable, and time-efficient SQL management tool. It quickly and effortlessly synchronizes and compares Standard Query Languages on any SQL server. What’s more is you can use the dbForge Schema for error-free, simple synchronizing by using the integrated SQL scripts.

SQL Deadlock Detector

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Deadlocks are dangerous for the simple reason that they can affect the overall performance of your server. Of course, that means the abnormal functioning of your system and persistent errors. SQL Deadlock Detector can help to solve this problem by identifying blocking code and accelerating system response to reduce deadlock units.

SQL Server Tools for Other Platforms

Whether you want to manage the database of a small project, or you need a robust SQL management tool to help you handle complex databases on your current Operating System, there will always be right software for your platform. Following is a list of software you may find interesting, useful, and easy to use.

Graphical SQL Management for Linux

If you are looking for the best Form Design and RAD Tool, you can trust Linas. It is a fancier package for the best graphical query generator, so you can use it to create and manage a database of any size. With Linas available for system programmers, managing your web projects just got a lot simpler.

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SQL Pro for Mac

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Developers addicted to Mac Computers can use SQL Pro to manage their databases. The tool gives developers quick access to essential features required to manage Standard Query Languages, like tables, views, and columns. The tool not only supports multiple results set but also syntax highlighting and stored procedure executions.

SQL Server Express Utility for Windows

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The Windows SQL server makes managing your databases easier. With this software, you can create and list all your databases on your SQL server. Moreover, the software has a console that you can use for SQL statement executions. It, also, lets you log all inputs and outputs. There is more to this tool, so the best you can do is to explore.

The Most Popular SQL Server Tool for 2016: EMS SQL Manager

EMS SQL Manager is an easy-to-use tool with a user-friendly Graphical User Interface. It is not only a query building solution but also perfect software for synchronizing and comparing the structure of the database. This software gives you easy control over your database by giving you unique features for SQL management. You can also see MySQL Backup Software

What is SQL Server Tool?

Managing Standard Query Language databases can be a daunting task for many database and system administrators. Until coming out of the best, reliable SQL Server Management tools, managing SQL databases used to be somewhat difficult. Today, however, there are high-quality software solutions that make SQL server management easy and straightforward. An SQL Server Tool is, therefore, a computer software solution developed to help you to manage, monitor and optimize SQL Server databases. You can also see Data Modeling Tools

These tools are easy-to-use and easy-to-learn. They are exactly what you need to manage your databases.With so many software solutions out there, it may be hard for you to know which one is the best. However, this article already provides you with the most suitable options, including the best software that you should be using for SQL management in 2016.

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