computer-playbook/roles/web-app-bigbluebutton

BigBlueButton

Description

This Ansible role deploys BigBlueButton using Docker Compose. It includes support for Greenlight, OIDC, LDAP, TURN/STUN, health checks, and a modular .env setup. This role is ideal for educational institutions and teams requiring a self-hosted video conferencing solution.

🔧 Note: The database layer should be decoupled in a future release to improve modularity and integration.

Overview

This role provides a fully automated deployment of BigBlueButton using Docker Compose on Arch Linux. It manages the entire lifecycle of the deployment, from cloning the upstream Docker repository and generating the .env configuration to customizing compose.yml for volume usage, WebSocket proxying, and optional LDAP/OIDC integration. The setup includes conditional Greenlight activation, WebRTC support via TURN/STUN, and various fixes for known container orchestration issues. The role is modular and integrates seamlessly with the Infinito.Nexus infrastructure, including reverse proxy configuration, domain management, and secrets templating. By default, BigBlueButton is deployed with best-practice hardening, modular secrets, and support for multiple authentication methods and scalable storage backends.

Cosmos

The diagram places BigBlueButton in the Infinito.Nexus cosmos: the components it deploys (capabilities), the central services it consumes (dependencies), and its outward reach (federation and bridged external networks).

flowchart LR
    subgraph deps [Dependencies]
        dep_svc_bkp_volume_2_local["svc-bkp-volume-2-local 💻"]
        dep_svc_db_openldap["svc-db-openldap 🐳🐝"]
        dep_web_app_dashboard["web-app-dashboard 🐳🐝"]
        dep_web_app_keycloak["web-app-keycloak 🐳🐝"]
        dep_web_app_matomo["web-app-matomo 🐳🐝"]
        dep_web_app_prometheus["web-app-prometheus 🐳🐝"]
        dep_web_app_stalwart["web-app-stalwart 🐳🐝"]
        dep_web_svc_collabora["web-svc-collabora 🐳🐝"]
        dep_web_svc_coturn["web-svc-coturn 🐳🐝"]
        dep_web_svc_css["web-svc-css 💻"]
        dep_web_svc_logout["web-svc-logout 🐳🐝"]
    end
    subgraph role [web-app-bigbluebutton 🐳🐝]
        svc_sso["sso"]
        svc_logout["logout"]
        svc_ldap["ldap"]
        svc_dashboard["dashboard"]
        svc_matomo["matomo"]
        svc_email["email"]
        svc_bigbluebutton["bigbluebutton"]
        svc_postgres["postgres"]
        svc_greenlight["greenlight"]
        svc_coturn["coturn"]
        svc_collabora["collabora"]
        svc_css["css"]
        svc_prometheus["prometheus"]
        svc_bbb_web["bbb-web"]
        svc_freeswitch["freeswitch"]
        svc_nginx["nginx"]
        svc_etherpad["etherpad"]
        svc_bbb_pads["bbb-pads"]
        svc_bbb_export_annotations["bbb-export-annotations"]
        svc_webrtc_sfu["webrtc-sfu"]
        svc_fsesl_akka["fsesl-akka"]
        svc_apps_akka["apps-akka"]
        svc_bbb_graphql_server["bbb-graphql-server"]
        svc_bbb_graphql_actions["bbb-graphql-actions"]
        svc_bbb_graphql_middleware["bbb-graphql-middleware"]
        svc_periodic["periodic"]
        svc_recordings["recordings"]
        svc_bbb_webrtc_recorder["bbb-webrtc-recorder"]
        svc_dockerize["dockerize"]
        svc_container_backup["container_backup"]
        svc_tor["tor ❌"]
    end
    subgraph dependents [Dependents]
        dpt_web_app_nextcloud["web-app-nextcloud 🐳🐝"]
    end
    dep_svc_bkp_volume_2_local -. "0..1" .-> svc_container_backup
    dep_svc_db_openldap -- "1:1" --> svc_ldap
    dep_web_app_dashboard -. "0..1" .-> svc_dashboard
    dep_web_app_keycloak -. "0..1" .-> svc_sso
    dep_web_app_matomo -. "0..1" .-> svc_matomo
    dep_web_app_prometheus -. "0..1" .-> svc_prometheus
    dep_web_app_stalwart -. "0..1" .-> svc_email
    dep_web_svc_collabora -. "0..1" .-> svc_collabora
    dep_web_svc_coturn -. "0..1" .-> svc_coturn
    dep_web_svc_css -. "0..1" .-> svc_css
    dep_web_svc_logout -. "0..1" .-> svc_logout
    svc_sso -. "0..1" .-> dpt_web_app_nextcloud

Solid 1:1 edges are fixed relationships; dashed 0..1 edges are conditional (enabled only in matching deployments); red 0..0 edges are turned off in this role. Node markers show the role's deploy modes (💻 host, 🐳 compose, 🐝 swarm); ❌ marks a service that is explicitly turned off, and ⚙️ an Ansible role dependency declared in meta/main.yml.

Features

• 🐳 Docker-based deployment via official bigbluebutton/docker
• ✅ Greenlight (v3) frontend support
• 🔐 SSO with OIDC & LDAP (optional)
• 🧱 Automatic .env templating and domain/NGINX integration
• 🛠 Volume patching and Docker Compose customization
• 📬 SMTP integration and Greenlight admin creation
• 🧪 Workarounds for known Docker Compose or Etherpad issues

Quick Setup

Development

Clone, set up the workstation, and deploy BigBlueButton onto the local stack:

git clone https://github.com/infinito-nexus/core.git
cd core
make onboard
make compose-deploy mode=reinstall apps=web-app-bigbluebutton full_cycle=false

Production

Run the published image to provision the inventory and deploy BigBlueButton to a managed server (the mounted volume persists the inventory):

APP=web-app-bigbluebutton
HOST=<your-server>
DOMAIN=<your-domain>
TLS_MODE=self_signed
SSH_PUBLIC_KEY="<your-ssh-public-key>"

docker run --rm -it \
  -v "$PWD/inventories:/etc/infinito.nexus/inventories" \
  -e APP="$APP" -e HOST="$HOST" -e DOMAIN="$DOMAIN" -e TLS_MODE="$TLS_MODE" -e SSH_PUBLIC_KEY="$SSH_PUBLIC_KEY" \
  ghcr.io/infinito-nexus/core/debian bash -c '
    INVENTORY=/etc/infinito.nexus/inventories/production
    infinito administration inventory provision "$INVENTORY" \
      --inventory-file "$INVENTORY/devices.yml" \
      --host "$HOST" \
      --include "$APP" \
      --vars "{\"TLS_MODE\": \"$TLS_MODE\", \"DOMAIN_PRIMARY\": \"$DOMAIN\", \"users\": {\"administrator\": {\"authorized_keys\": [\"$SSH_PUBLIC_KEY\"]}}}" &&
    infinito administration deploy dedicated "$INVENTORY/devices.yml" \
      --password-file "$INVENTORY/.password" \
      --diff -vv'

Single Sign-On (SSO)

• Docs: External Authentication
• Supports:
  • ✅ OpenID Connect (OIDC)
  • ✅ LDAP (with custom DN and filters)
  • 🧩 Custom OAuth2 flows via ENV vars

System Requirements

• Arch Linux with Docker, Compose, and NGINX roles pre-installed
• DNS and reverse proxy configuration using sys-svc-proxy
• Functional email system for Greenlight SMTP

Further Resources

• BigBlueButton Docker Docs
• Networking Fixes & Issues

Credits

Implemented by Kevin Veen-Birkenbach. Part of the Infinito.Nexus Project and maintained by Kevin Veen-Birkenbach. Licensed under the Infinito.Nexus Community License (Non-Commercial).