Jul 11, 2024 4 min read

BigBlueButton: The Full Guide to Self-Hosting Anywhere

BigBlueButton: The Full Guide to Self-Hosting Anywhere
Table of Contents

BigBlueButton is a robust open-source web conferencing system designed specifically for online learning. It offers features like real-time video, whiteboarding, chat, screen sharing, and integrations with learning management systems (LMS). Self-hosting BigBlueButton ensures full control over data, customization options, and the ability to scale to meet your organizationโ€™s unique needs. In this guide, weโ€™ll cover everything from installation and configuration to advanced features like API usage, logging, and backup management.

Installing BigBlueButton

๐Ÿ“ฆ Docker/Docker Compose Setup

BigBlueButton can be deployed using Docker to simplify server management and ensure dependencies are properly handled. Below is a sample docker-compose.yml file for deploying BigBlueButton:


version: '3.8'

services:

bigbluebutton:

image: bigbluebutton/bbb-image:latest

container_name: bigbluebutton

ports:

- "80:80"

- "443:443"

environment:

- BBB_SECRET=your_secret_key

- BBB_PUBLIC_IP=your_server_ip

volumes:

- ./bbb-data:/var/bigbluebutton

- ./logs:/var/log/bigbluebutton

restart: always

To deploy BigBlueButton with Docker Compose, run the following commands:


mkdir bigbluebutton && cd bigbluebutton

## Create docker-compose.yml

nano docker-compose.yml

## Launch the application

docker-compose up -d

This will pull the latest BigBlueButton image, map the appropriate ports, and persist data locally.

๐Ÿš€ Manual Installation

For advanced users or those wanting full control over the system, BigBlueButton can be installed directly on an Ubuntu server. Use the following commands to prepare your system and install BigBlueButton:


## Update and upgrade packages

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

## Install dependencies

sudo apt install -y gnupg curl software-properties-common

## Add BigBlueButton repository and key

curl https://ubuntu.bigbluebutton.org/repo/bigbluebutton.asc | sudo apt-key add -

sudo add-apt-repository 'deb https://ubuntu.bigbluebutton.org/bionic-240/ bbb-release main'

## Install BigBlueButton

sudo apt update

sudo apt install -y bigbluebutton

## Configure BigBlueButton with your hostname

sudo bbb-conf --setip your_server_ip_or_domain

Verify the installation by pointing your browser to http://your_server_ip.

Configuring Nginx as a Reverse Proxy

๐ŸŒ Nginx Configuration

To route traffic to BigBlueButton through Nginx (and enable SSL), create a server block with the following configuration:


server {

listen 80;

server_name your_domain.com;

location / {

proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:80;

proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $remote_addr;

proxy_set_header Host $host;

proxy_http_version 1.1;

proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;

proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";

}

}

Save this configuration in /etc/nginx/sites-available/bigbluebutton and create a symlink:


sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/bigbluebutton /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/

sudo nginx -t

sudo systemctl reload nginx

๐Ÿ”’ SSL/TLS Setup

Use Letโ€™s Encrypt to secure your BigBlueButton instance with SSL:


sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y

sudo certbot --nginx -d your_domain.com

Automate certificate renewal:


sudo crontab -e

## Add the following line

0 0 * * * certbot renew --quiet

Test the configuration:


sudo nginx -t

sudo systemctl reload nginx

Logging and Debugging BigBlueButton

๐Ÿ—ƒ๏ธ Enabling Debug Logs

Enable debug logs to diagnose issues with BigBlueButton. Edit the logging configuration file:


sudo nano /etc/bigbluebutton/bbb-web.properties

Set the log level to DEBUG:


log.level=DEBUG

Restart the service to apply changes:


sudo systemctl restart bigbluebutton

๐Ÿ“„ Viewing Logs

Access logs directly from the filesystem or via Docker (if using containers):


## Access logs on the host system

tail -f /var/log/bigbluebutton/*.log

## For Docker-based installations

docker logs -f bigbluebutton

๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Troubleshooting Common Issues

If you encounter errors, search for the keyword ERROR in the logs:


grep "ERROR" /var/log/bigbluebutton/*.log

๐Ÿ“ค Exporting Logs

Export logs to external systems like ELK for detailed analysis:


## Install Filebeat (for shipping logs)

sudo apt install filebeat -y

## Configure Filebeat to monitor BigBlueButton logs

sudo nano /etc/filebeat/filebeat.yml

## Add paths to BigBlueButton logs

- /var/log/bigbluebutton/*.log

Restart Filebeat to start shipping logs.

Backup and Restore

๐Ÿ—‚๏ธ File-Based Backups

Back up configuration and data files:


sudo tar -czvf bigbluebutton-backup.tar.gz /etc/bigbluebutton /var/bigbluebutton

๐Ÿ”„ Database Backups

If your BigBlueButton instance uses a database, back it up with:


mysqldump -u root -p bigbluebutton > bbb-database-backup.sql

Restore it with:


mysql -u root -p bigbluebutton < bbb-database-backup.sql

๐Ÿ“… Automated Backup Scripts

Set up a cron job for periodic backups:


crontab -e

## Add the following line to back up daily at 2 AM

0 2 * * * tar -czvf /backup/bigbluebutton-$(date +\%F).tar.gz /etc/bigbluebutton /var/bigbluebutton

Updating and Upgrading BigBlueButton

โฌ†๏ธ Updating Docker Images

For Docker users, update the BigBlueButton image with:


docker-compose pull

docker-compose down

docker-compose up -d

๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Manual Updates

On a manually installed instance, update BigBlueButton with:


sudo apt update && sudo apt install bigbluebutton

sudo bbb-conf --check

๐Ÿ” Checking for Updates

Verify the current version and check for updates:


sudo bbb-conf --version

Leveraging BigBlueButtonโ€™s Unique Features

๐Ÿ”ง Enabling APIs

To enable and use BigBlueButtonโ€™s API, ensure the API is activated in the configuration:


sudo nano /etc/bigbluebutton/bbb-web.properties

## Ensure API access is set to true

bigbluebutton.api.enabled=true

Use curl to test the API:


curl -X GET "http://your_server_ip/bigbluebutton/api/enter?meetingID=test&password=mod&checksum=your_checksum"

๐ŸŒŸ Advanced Configurations

Customize BigBlueButton for your organization by editing:


sudo nano /etc/bigbluebutton/bbb-web.properties

You can modify features like maximum participant limits, default presentation uploads, or branding.

Wrapping Up

In this guide, we covered installing, configuring, and managing a self-hosted BigBlueButton instance, along with advanced topics like logging, backups, and feature customization. By following these steps, you now have a fully functional BigBlueButton system tailored to your needs, enabling you to deliver secure and customizable online conferencing with full control. Start exploring its advanced features and APIs to unlock its full potential!

Great! Youโ€™ve successfully signed up.
Welcome back! You've successfully signed in.
You've successfully subscribed to Selfhosted Ninja.
Your link has expired.
Success! Check your email for magic link to sign-in.
Success! Your billing info has been updated.
Your billing was not updated.