Reported in GG:
https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups=#!topic/mongodb-user/k3aYsAU85ko

The Debian package is looking in /etc/passwd for user mongodb, which in my case, it doesn't find (nor do I). However, I'm peforming this installation in a rather more complex environment in which there are LDAP users defined which do not appear in /etc/passwd of course.

The solution would be to be more careful using adduser to insert the new mongodb user, something like:

id=`grep mongodb /etc/passwd`

if [ ! id mongodb ]; then
  adduser --system --no-create-home mongodb
  addgroup --system mongodb
  adduser mongodb mongodb
  ...

I'm sorry someone in our Ops team decided that a mongodb user would be a good idea to have, but I can't do anything about that and it shouldn't really hinder my MongoDB installation but for needing a little tighter coding in the post install/configure phase.

The solution is to hack the Debian package (DEBIAN/postinst). Ugh. I hope 10gen is listening and can offer a fix soon?

Hope this helps someone else scratching his or her head.

Russ Bateman