Video Conferencing

Chamilo integrates with video conferencing platforms to enable live sessions within courses.

Supported Platforms

BigBlueButton

BigBlueButton (BBB) is an open-source web conferencing system designed for online learning. It is the most commonly used video conferencing solution with Chamilo.

Configuration

1. Install BigBlueButton on a separate server (see BigBlueButton documentation)

2. Use bbb-conf --salt on the BBB server to get the integration details

3. In Chamilo platform settings, Plugins, install the Videoconference plugin and enter its config to set:

   • BBB server URL — The address of your BBB server

   • BBB salt/secret — The API secret from your BBB server

4. Save

5. Enable the Videoconference plugin

6. Some special features are available to admins, so make sure you enable it in the admin_page region

Features Available in Chamilo

• Start/join meetings from within a course

• Automatic room creation per course

• Meeting recordings (if enabled)

• Screen sharing, whiteboard, breakout rooms

• Chat alongside video

Zoom

Chamilo can also integrate with Zoom for video conferencing.

Configuration

1. Create a Zoom app in the Zoom Marketplace

2. In Chamilo, configure the Zoom API credentials

3. Enable the Zoom integration

How It Works

When Zoom is configured, teachers can create and launch Zoom meetings from within their course. Learners join through the Chamilo interface.

Choosing Between BBB and Zoom

Feature	BigBlueButton	Zoom
Cost	Free (open-source), but requires your own server	Requires a Zoom subscription
Hosting	Self-hosted	Cloud-hosted by Zoom
Integration depth	Deep (built for LMS use)	Standard
Recording	Server-side, stored on your infrastructure	Zoom cloud or local
Whiteboard	Built-in	Built-in
Breakout rooms	Yes	Yes

Tips

• Separate server for BBB — BigBlueButton should run on its own dedicated server for best performance, not on the same server as Chamilo

• Test before classes — Always test the video conferencing setup before a live session

• Check bandwidth — Ensure your server and network can handle the expected number of concurrent users