Integrate BigBlueButton with Chamilo LMS

01

Choose the supported integration path

Chamilo documents BigBlueButton as a course-tool plugin. The virtual-classroom server remains separate: enabling the plugin does not install, scale or monitor BigBlueButton.

• Supported Chamilo release and plugin present/compatible.
• Platform-administrator access.
• Separate production BBB or Scalelite endpoint.

02

Prepare BigBlueButton and credentials

Use a production BigBlueButton endpoint with a trusted TLS certificate. Keep the API shared secret or LTI secret on the server side: it is equivalent to an application credential and must never be placed in browser code, a public repository or a screenshot.

1. 1

   Confirm the BigBlueButton server is healthy and that its public hostname resolves correctly.

2. 2

   Retrieve the API URL and shared secret with sudo bbb-conf --secret, or create a dedicated LTI key and secret where the integration uses LTI.

3. 3

   Record the platform version, connector version, owner and rollback point before making the change.

sudo bbb-conf --check
sudo bbb-conf --secret

03

Configure Chamilo

Make the first connection in a staging course, workspace or tenant. Use a dedicated test teacher and test learner so role mapping can be observed rather than inferred from an administrator account.

1. 1

   Open Administration → Plugins and locate the BigBlueButton plugin.

2. 2

   Enable it and open its configuration page.

3. 3

   Enter the BBB server URL and shared secret, keeping the credential server-side.

4. 4

   Enable the course tool for one pilot course and set teacher permissions.

04

Run an end-to-end acceptance test

A green “connection successful” message proves only that one API request worked. The useful test follows the complete classroom lifecycle from creation through recording publication.

1. 1

   Create and join from the pilot course as teacher and learner.

2. 2

   Test presentation, chat, audio and clean meeting termination.

3. 3

   Record and confirm its course visibility after processing.

4. 4

   Clone or archive a course and verify room/recording behaviour.

05

Common problems and practical fixes

Start with timestamps, browser developer tools and the logs on both sides. Repeatedly replacing secrets rarely fixes a hostname, TLS, role or callback problem and makes the evidence harder to follow.

• Plugin absence can mean it is not shipped with that release or is in the wrong plugin directory.
• Connection failures require checking HTTPS trust and the exact API URL.
• Chamilo and BBB need separate capacity, backup and update plans.

06

Production hardening and upgrades

Restrict who can create rooms, define recording retention, test accessibility and document the integration owner. Pin or approve connector updates, subscribe to upstream releases and repeat the acceptance test after changes to the LMS, connector, BigBlueButton or reverse proxy.

• Do not expose the BigBlueButton shared secret to course authors or client-side JavaScript.
• Use least-privilege teacher roles and test guest, suspended and unenrolled users.
• Monitor API errors, failed joins, recording processing and disk growth.
• Keep a short rollback runbook: previous package, configuration backup and maintenance window.