Setting Up Big Blue Button with Docker-Compose: A Step-by-Step Guide

Big Blue Button (BBB) is an open-source web conferencing system that is widely used for online education, webinars, and presentations. It provides a comprehensive platform for video and audio conferencing, screen sharing, and other collaboration tools.

One of the advantages of using BBB is its compatibility with Docker, which makes it easy to set up and run in a variety of environments. In this article, we will guide you through the process of setting up BBB using Docker-Compose.

Before we begin, please ensure that you have the following prerequisites:

• A server with a fresh installation of Docker and Docker-Compose.
• A domain name or a subdomain pointing to your server’s IP address.

Step 1: Clone the BBB Docker-Compose Repository

The first step is to clone the BBB Docker-Compose repository from GitHub. To do this, open a terminal on your server and run the following command

git clone https://github.com/bigbluebutton/bbb-docker-compose.git

Step 2: Navigate to the BBB Docker-Compose Directory

Next, navigate to the BBB Docker-Compose directory:

cd bbb-docker-compose

Step 3: Edit the Environment File

Now, you need to edit the environment file to configure the settings for your BBB instance. Open the .env file in a text editor:

nano .env

Update the following values in the .env file:

• BBB_HOST: Your domain name or subdomain.
• BBB_SECRET: A secure secret key for your BBB instance. You can generate a random key using a tool like pwgen.

Step 4: Launch the BBB Docker Containers

With the environment file configured, you can now launch the BBB Docker containers by running the following command:

docker-compose up -d

This will pull all the required images and launch the BBB containers in the background. It may take a few minutes for the containers to launch and configure.

Step 5: Verify the BBB Installation

To verify the installation, open a web browser and navigate to your BBB instance using the URL you specified in the .env file. You should see the BBB login screen.

Step 6: Secure Your BBB Instance

Finally, it is recommended to secure your BBB instance by setting up SSL/TLS encryption. You can use a tool like Let’s Encrypt to generate and install a free SSL certificate for your domain.

In conclusion, setting up Big Blue Button with Docker-Compose is a straightforward process that provides you with a flexible and scalable platform for online education and presentations. With the steps outlined in this article, you can have a fully functional BBB instance up and running in no time.