docker-dev

How to use Docker to setup a development environment for BigBlueButton

Environment

We're considering you are using a Ubuntu 20.04 LTS but other versions/distributions can work too.

An internet connection is required. It can be a shared network ( no need to forward ports in your router ).

SSL certificate

Running a BigBlueButton server requires a SSL certificate. The install script will automatically generate an self-signed certificate or you can rather specify a folder which contains a previous generated certificate.

Docker setup

The next script depends on having docker available to your user, so before proceeding, run the following command (note that a computer reboot is required):

sudo usermod -aG docker `whoami`
sudo reboot

Container setup

1. Save (right click, save as) the creation script in home directory (~): create_bbb.sh

2. Add permissions to the script:

chmod +x create_bbb.sh

3. Run the script ( it will remove previously created dockers and create a new one): Docker bbb 2.6

./create_bbb.sh bbb26 --image=imdt/bigbluebutton:2.6.x-develop --update

Docker bbb 2.5

./create_bbb.sh bbb25 --image=imdt/bigbluebutton:2.5.x-develop --update

Docker bbb 2.4

./create_bbb.sh bbb24 --image=imdt/bigbluebutton:2.4.x-develop --update

Parameters: ./create_bbb.sh [--update] [--fork=github_user] [--domain=domain_name] [--ip=ip_address] [--image=docker_image] [--cert=certificate_dir] {name}

• {name}: Name of the container (e.g bbb26) (REQUIRED)
• --update: check for new image version --update
• --domain: set the host domain (e.g --domain=test), default: test. BBB URL will be https://{NAME} + {DOMAIN}
• --cert: specify the directory which contains a certificate (fullchain.pem and privkey.pem) (e.g --cert=/tmp) (if absent a new certificate will be created)
• --ip: force container IP (e.g --ip=172.17.0.2)
• --fork: Username in Github with bbb Fork --fork=bigbluebutton
• --image: Force an image different than default --image=imdt/bigbluebutton:2.6.x-develop

Using the container

SSH session within the container

ssh bbb26

Replace bbb26 with the {name} param of create_bbb.sh

That's all, open https://bbb26.test in your browser and enjoy.

PS: if you see certificate error in your browser, you need to add the CA certificate in it's trusted certificates. Instructions for Chrome and Firefox can be found here

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BBB-Conf

Link to the API-Mate: bbb-conf --salt

Restart BBB: sudo bbb-conf --restart

Check configs: sudo bbb-conf --check

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Troubleshooting

In case of problems, you can update the packages by running:

sudo apt update
sudo apt dist-upgrade -y

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Instructions to run BigBlueButton from source (via command-line)

• HTML5 - bigbluebutton-html5: the Front-End (users meeting interface) [Meteor]
• AKKA - akka-bbb-apps: Backend that exchange msgs with Frontend through Redis pub/sub msgs (stores the meeting state and execute validations for Html5, e.g: Can John send a message?) [Scala]
• API - bigbluebutton-web: Receives requests e.g: Create room, Enter room (when someone asks to enter the room, enters the API and then is redirected to html5) [Grails]
  • -bbb-common-web: Contains useful functions that are used by the API [JAVA]
• bbb-common-message: Contains all Redis messages! Akka and the API import this project to know the existing messages [JAVA]

Further informations in https://docs.bigbluebutton.org/2.6/dev.html

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HTML5 client

Running HTML5

cd ~/src/bigbluebutton-html5/
./run-dev.sh

Running HTML5 with Full RESET (needed sometimes)

cd ~/src/bigbluebutton-html5/
./run-dev.sh --reset

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Common-Message (required for BBB-Web and Akka)

cd ~/src/bbb-common-message
./deploy.sh

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BBB-Web (API)

Running Bigbluebutton-web

cd ~/src/bigbluebutton-web/
./run-dev.sh

If bbb-common-web was changed run:

cd ~/src/bbb-common-web
./deploy.sh
cd ~/src/bigbluebutton-web/
./build.sh

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Akka-apps

Running Akka within bbb-docker-dev

cd ~/src/akka-bbb-apps/
./run-dev.sh

Running Akka on IntelliJ IDEA

• Requires Common-Message
• Open bbb-docker-dev SSH connection appending -with-ports to the command (it will create tunnel for Redis port 6379)

ssh {container_name}-with-ports

• Run Akka within Docker once, to set the configs

cd ~/src/akka-bbb-apps/
./run-dev.sh

• If everything is working, press Ctrl + C to stop

• Open IDEA, open the Sbt tab and run:

~reStart

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Redis

• To track the exchange of messages between applications

redis-cli psubscribe "*" | grep --line-buffered -v 'pmessage\|CheckRunningAndRecording\|MeetingInfoAnalyticsServiceMsg\|CheckAliveP\|GetUsersStatusToVoiceConfSysMsg\|SendCursorPosition\|DoLatencyTracerMsg'