This article we will show how to install Microsoft SQL Server 2017 on macOS, as we talk it in previous blog.
Which method we use?
Prior to SQL Server 2017, if we want to install it on macOS, a virtual machine (like Parallels Desktop) is essential. Then we can install a Windows system in it and then we install and run SQL Server.
Luckily, from SQL Server 2017, we can choose to install SQL Server on Docker containers.

How to install SQL Server on Docker?
1 What is Docker?
Docker is a platform which can make softwares to run in it. It is called a container, which is an isolated environment.
2 Download and install Docker
If you haven’t installed Docker on your Mac, the next step is to install Docker.
Go to Docker page to download the .dmg file and then double click and install it according to the instructions.
3 Run Docker and increase the memory
Run Docker as you used to run other softwares and the next step is to increase the memory. This is because the default value of Docker memory is 2 GB but SQL needs at least 3.25 GB.
I recommend we set the memory value to 4 GB.
- Click Docker icon on top menu of your Mac
- Click Preferences
- Set Memory under Advanced to 4 GB.

Click Apply&Restart
4 Download Microsoft SQL Server 2017
The next step is to download SQL Server 2017 from Terminal, which is an easy way.
Copy and paste the command in Terminal of your Mac:
docker pull microsoft/mssql-server-linux
Through it, the latest version of MS Server SQL can be downloaded.
5 Run a Docker image
Copy, change and paste the command in Terminal of your Mac:
docker run -d --name xxxxxxx -e 'ACCEPT_EULA=Y' -e 'SA_PASSWORD=xxxx\xxxx' -p 1433:1433 microsoft/mssql-server-linux
We need to change the name and password as your own here.
This step is to run an instance of Docker image. A Docker image is a file, which is used to execute codes in a Docker container.
If you want to check, copy and paste the following command to see whether the Docker container is running:
docker ps
If it works, it will show like this:

6 Install the sql-cli command line tool
The next step is to install the sql-cli command line tool. It can allow you to run commands against your SQL Server instance.
Copy and paste the command in Terminal of your Mac:
npm install -g sql-cli
If an error happened and shows you do not have the permissions to access this file as the current user, just try add sudo in your command:
sudo npm install -g sql-cli
7 Connect to SQL Server
After sql-cli is installed, now we can connect to SQL Server using the mssql
command.
mssql -u xxxxxxx -p xxxxxxx
Here xxxxxxx and xxxxxxx means your name and password.
Then you will see:

Now you’ve successfully connected to your instance of SQL Server.
Next blog we will continue our journey with SQL Server and Azure Data Studio. Maybe you will want to read more about Azure and Microsoft Learn in the previous blog.
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