Integrate BigBlueButton with Mattermost

01

Choose the supported integration path

Blindside Networks’ plugin creates channel and direct meetings and can surface recordings. Its latest public GitHub release is dated 2022, so validate compatibility with your Mattermost release in staging before treating it as supported production software.

• Mattermost edition with plugin uploads enabled.
• Plugin release/architecture compatible with the server.
• BBB endpoint, secret and test channel.

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 Mattermost

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

   Download the signed/released tar.gz from the upstream releases page; do not extract it.

2. 2

   Enable integrations and plugin uploads according to Mattermost administration policy.

3. 3

   Upload the package in System Console → Plugin Management.

4. 4

   Configure BBB URL/secret before activation, activate it, then restrict pilot access.

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

   Run /bbb in a channel and join with two channel members.

2. 2

   Start a direct meeting from a user profile and verify notification.

3. 3

   End a meeting and inspect duration/attendee metadata.

4. 4

   Record and search the channel for the published recording.

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 upload disabled requires a controlled server configuration change and restart.
• Older plugin versions have different default-credential behaviour.
• A modern Mattermost upgrade can break an unmaintained plugin; preserve a rollback package.

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.