Skip to main content

Getting started with BigBlueButton (BBB)

Features​

  • guestPolicy functionality
    • e.g. External Expert can join a meeting and will be marked as guest
  • muteOnStart functionality
    • Moderator can mute all participants on start of video conference
  • allowModsToUnmuteUsers functionality
    • Moderator can allow moderators to unmute users if they want to
  • welcome functionality
    • Moderator can write a welcome message for the Waiting room

Local Setup for using the features above in BBB​

Add the BBB credentials HOST and SALT to your env. file, you can find them in the password vault.

Add FEATURE_VIDEOCONFERENCE_ENABLED=true in client and server and FEATURE_VIDEOCONFERENCE_WAITING_ROOM_ENABLED=true to your env. file in the client.

Add the right permissions to the role. Permissions needed are START_MEETING, JOIN_MEETING.

Add "videoconference" to School property 'features' array (table 'schools') in MongoDB.

Make sure you started the server with the following env values:

FEATURE_VIDEOCONFERENCE_ENABLED=true
VIDEOCONFERENCE_HOST=https://bbb.staging.messenger.schule/bigbluebutton
VIDEOCONFERENCE_SALT (from password vault)
FEATURE_COLUMN_BOARD_VIDEOCONFERENCE_ENABLED=true (to make the option BBB visible within Boards)

When a videoconference is created (e.g. when a teacher activates the feature for a course) within the database (table 'videoconferences') an object is created with the following structure:

💡 Tip

{
    "_id" : ObjectId("ID"),
    "createdAt" : ISODate("2026-02-02T10:01:25.075+0000"),
    "updatedAt" : ISODate("2026-02-02T10:02:00.127+0000"),
    "target" : "COURSE_ID",
    "targetModel" : "courses",
    "options" : {
        "everyAttendeJoinsMuted" : true,
        "everybodyJoinsAsModerator" : false,
        "moderatorMustApproveJoinRequests" : false
    },
    "salt" : "SALT_VALUE"
}

A similar structure would be present in case the videoconference is added as a board element but of course 'target' would refer to a different object (board) and for 'targetModel' we would have the value "video-conference-elements".

External Experts Waiting room​

Introduction​

External experts are currently forbidden from entering BBB conferences due to data protection reasons. However if there is a waiting room and explicit permissions from a moderator (usually a teacher) then they are allowed into such rooms to participate in a video conference.

Research Results​

BBB has built in features to allow for such constellations. It has a waiting room for guests that can be activated and only allows participants to join after a moderator approves it.

These features are currently deactivated in dBildungscloud, but can be activated. In a POC we could confirm that it works as imagined, it just needs to be properly implemented now.

The following changes are necessary:

Client:

  • Add an option on room creation, that allows external experts, but puts them in a waiting room

Server:

  • Add the correct parameters on room creation to allow guests only after moderator permission
  • Add a check for external experts to give them the BBB role "Guest"

Those changes will most likely be done in the legacy code due to delivery timeline reasons.