How do I add video conferencing to Chamilo?

Chamilo, the open-source learning platform, does not include its own video server, but it connects to several tools. According to the Chamilo documentation, BigBlueButton is the most commonly used option.

Option 1: BigBlueButton plugin (the usual route)

1. Set up a BigBlueButton server, ideally on a separate machine from Chamilo (or use a hosting provider). 2. On the BigBlueButton server, get the server URL and shared secret (the command `bbb-conf --secret` shows them; older guides call it `--salt`). 3. In Chamilo, go to Administration › Plugins, enable the Videoconference (BigBlueButton) plugin and enter the URL and secret. 4. Assign the plugin to a region of the admin page and enable it in the courses where you want it.

Teachers can then start a session from the course and learners join from the same place. Each course gets its own room, with recordings, screen sharing, whiteboard and breakout rooms provided by BigBlueButton.

Option 2: Zoom. Chamilo documents a Zoom integration through an app from the Zoom Marketplace. It requires a Zoom account, and video and recordings stay in Zoom.

Option 3: LTI tools. Chamilo can connect external tools through its IMS/LTI plugin. plugNmeet, for example, documents LTI setup for Chamilo. Integration depth varies by tool and Chamilo version.

Tips from the Chamilo documentation: keep the video server separate from Chamilo, test with a real group before the course starts, and check learners' bandwidth.

Whichever option you use, check which Chamilo version (1.11 or 2.x) the plugin supports.