How to Integrate Rocket.Chat with BigBlueButton Server

This article provides a guide demonstrating how to integrate Rocket.Chat with BigBlueButton server. Here’s a complete guide to connect Rocket.Chat with BigBlueButton (BBB) for in-app video conferencing on your Debian VPS:

What is Rocket.Chat?

Rocket.Chat is an open-source communication platform designed for team collaboration, real-time messaging, and secure communication. It’s often used as a self-hosted alternative to proprietary chat services like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Discord, and is especially popular among organizations that require data privacy, customizability, or on-premise deployment.

🔍 Key Features of Rocket.Chat:

🚀 Use Cases

• Remote Team Collaboration
• Customer Support via Omnichannel
• Internal Communication in Enterprises
• Secure Messaging for Governments & NGOs
• DevOps & IT ChatOps (e.g., GitHub/GitLab integrations)

🆚 Compared to Slack or MS Teams

🛠️ Deployment Options

• Docker & Docker Compose
• Kubernetes
• Debian/Ubuntu packages
• Cloud (via Rocket.Chat hosting or partners)

What is BigBlueButton?

BigBlueButton is an open-source web conferencing system designed specifically for online learning and virtual classrooms. It enables real-time video, audio, and screen sharing, along with tools that promote interactive teaching, such as whiteboards, polls, and breakout rooms.

It’s often self-hosted by educational institutions, training organizations, or companies that require full control over their video conferencing infrastructure.

🎯 Key Features of BigBlueButton

🧑‍🏫 Designed for Education

Unlike general-purpose video conferencing tools (like Zoom or Google Meet), BigBlueButton is purpose-built for virtual classrooms, offering:

• Learning Management System (LMS) integrations (e.g., Moodle, Canvas, Sakai)
• Student engagement metrics
• Low-bandwidth optimizations

🛠️ Deployment Options

• Self-hosted on Linux servers (typically Ubuntu)
• Docker installation available
• Hosted providers (for institutions preferring managed services)

🌐 Integrations

• LMS platforms (Moodle, Canvas, Schoology)
• Rocket.Chat (for chat + video conferencing hybrid setups)
• Greenlight (a lightweight UI/front-end for managing meetings)

⚖️ BigBlueButton vs. Zoom

By integrating it with Rocket.Chat, you can host voice/video calls, share screens, and record sessions, directly from chat rooms.

✅ Prerequisites

• A Rocket.Chat instance (See: How to Install and Run Rocket.Chat)
• A BigBlueButton server (See: How to Install BigBlueButton)
• Admin access to Rocket.Chat
• Your BBB server URL and shared secret

Don’t have BBB yet? Use the public test server for evaluation:
URL: https://demo.bigbluebutton.org/b
Secret: Provided after creating meeting via their API interface

🎥 How to Integrate Rocket.Chat with BigBlueButton (BBB)

To integrate Rocket.Chat with BigBlueButton, follow the steps provided below:

1. Get Your BigBlueButton Server Details

   For self-hosted BigBlueButton instances:

   • URL: https://your-bbb-domain.com/bigbluebutton/
   • Secret: Run this command on the BBB server:

     bbb-conf --secret

     Copy the URL and Secret values.

2. Install BigBlueButton App in Rocket.Chat

   1. Login to Rocket.Chat as an admin
   2. Go to Administration → Apps → Marketplace
   3. Install BigBlueButton App for Rocket.Chat
   4. Click Install

3. Configure the BigBlueButton Integration

   After installation:

   1. Go to Administration → Apps → BigBlueButton → Settings
   2. Fill in the following fields:
      

      Field	Value
      BBB Server URL	https://your-bbb-domain.com/bigbluebutton/
      BBB Shared Secret	Paste the secret from bbb-conf --secret
      Enable SSL	True if using HTTPS
      Enable Recording	True (optional, if supported)

   3. Click Save Changes.

4. Using BigBlueButton in Rocket.Chat

   Once configured, users can:

   • Go to a channel or direct message
   • Click the video camera icon → Start Video Call
   • Rocket.Chat creates and shares a BigBlueButton meeting link
   • Others can join from the same room

   You’ll see a “Join Meeting” button appear in the chat.

5. Optional: Enable Recording Playback in Chat

   If recordings are enabled in your BigBlueButton config:

   1. Ensure Enable Recording is set to true in Rocket.Chat settings
   2. When a meeting ends, the link to the recording will be posted automatically (after processing)

6. Secure the Integration

   • Use HTTPS on both Rocket.Chat and BigBlueButton
   • Limit BigBlueButton access using a firewall to known IPs
   • Disable public guest access if not needed

7. Test the Integration

   1. Start a call in any Rocket.Chat room
   2. Join from another account/device
   3. Check audio, video, screen share
   4. End the meeting and wait for recording link (if enabled)

✅ Summary

Conclusion

You now know how to integrate Rocket.Chat with BigBlueButton server.

Read Also:

• Rocket.Chat BigBlueButton App Documentation