How to manage TrueConf plugin for Mozilla Thunderbird in a centralized way

If you need to centrally manage the settings of the TrueConf plugin for the Thunderbird mail client, this can be done by modifying the config.json configuration file on the TrueConf Server side. This file specifies the settings that the plugin receives after a user authenticates to a specific video conferencing server.

We also reviewed the centralized configuration of settings for Outlook plugins in a separate article.

First, make sure that the plugin installed for Thunderbird is version 1.3.0 or higher. Users can download the latest version using the button below:

Download v. 2.0.2 (only if you have TrueConf Server 5.5.0+)Download v. 1.3.0

As an administrator, you can find this link in the server control panel and distribute it to your users. In the sidebar, navigate to Extensions → Mail Plugins. The download link is located in the Thunderbird section:

Configuration file setup

To apply changes, the configuration file must be edited with administrator privileges for Windows OS and superuser rights for Linux OS.

The required config.json file is located in the directory:

Mozilla Thunderbird

• TrueConf Server on Windows:

  C:\Program Files\TrueConf Server\httpconf\site\public\plugins\thunderbird\

• TrueConf Server for Linux:

  /opt/trueconf/server/srv/site/public/plugins/thunderbird/

Available options

For all options that can be enabled/disabled, the value true/1 sets the parameter to active, while the value false/0 sets it to inactive.

Below is a list of all parameters and their acceptable values. All of them can be used in the defaults section, with additional information on which are available for the lock and hidden sections.

Table

Example of parameter configuration

As an example, let's configure the configuration file according to the parameters (parameters in the defaults section):

• Maximum number of speakers for the Moderated role-based conference mode — 6;

• Conference mode — Moderated role-based;

• Use of a PIN code for entering the conference;

• Enable conference recording

• Disable participant microphones and cameras upon joining the conference;

• Allow guests to send messages

• Prohibit guests from sending audio and video;

• Conference without a schedule (virtual room);

• Increase the duration of each conference created through the plugin by 10 minutes relative to the event time it is linked to;

• Allow conference time extension

• Set to notify participants 10 minutes (600 seconds) before conference termination.

Now, we block the modification of the following parameters (lock section parameters):

• Use of a PIN code for entering the conference;

• Enable conference recording;

• Disable participant microphones and cameras upon joining the conference;

• permission for guests to send audio and video.

We hide the parameters (hidden section parameters):

• Internal conference type, now the user will only be able to create a Public conference;

• conference mode – Video lecture, Smart meeting, Everyone on screen;

• Conference recording settings.

We will get the file config.json with the following content:

{
    "remember_me": true,
    "defaults": {
        "conference": {
            "max_moderated_role_based_speakers": 6,
            "mode": "moderated_role_based",
            "pin": 1,
            "recording": 1,
            "on_join_mute_mic": 1,
            "on_join_mute_camera": 1,
            "guest_send_messages": 1,
            "guest_send_audio": 0,
            "guest_send_video": 0,
            "virtual_room": 1,
            "additional_conf_time": 10,
            "expiration_time_updating_allowed": 1,
            "expiration_time_alert": 600
        }
    },
    "lock": {
        "conference": {
            "pin": true,
            "recording": true,
            "on_join_mute_mic": true,
            "on_join_mute_camera": true,
            "disable_audio_remarks": false,
            "guest_send_messages": false,
            "guest_send_audio": true,
            "guest_send_video": true,
            "waiting_room": false
        }
    },
    "hidden": {
        "conference": {
            "type": {
                "private": true,
                "public": false
            },
            "mode": {
                "smart_meeting": true,
                "moderated_role_based": false,
                "all_on_screen": true,
                "video_lecture": true
            },
            "pin": false,
            "recording": true,
            "on_join_mute_mic": false,
            "on_join_mute_camera": false,
            "disable_audio_remarks": false,
            "guest_send_messages": false,
            "guest_send_audio": false,
            "guest_send_video": false
        }
    }
}

The received text needs to be copied into an existing file. After that, the configuration file can be checked using one of the following methods:

• Verification by the server administrator by authorizing in the plugin with a TrueConf user account;

• Verification by the server user followed by feedback to the server administrator.

To check the configuration file:

• install the mail plugin as shown above;

• create an event in the Thunderbird mail client calendar as described in the article;

• note the changes in the conference creation parameters:

If you encounter any issues with the plugin, you can restore the settings file from a previously created backup.

The parameter table:

Key	Value	Purpose	Available for
			lock	hidden
remember_me	true	status of the "Remember me" option on the login screen	❌	❌
	false
allow_server_change	true*	permission to connect to other TrueConf Server instances (only for plugin version 2.0)	❌	❌
	false
guest_participants	0 = private conference*	type of access to the conference (only for plugin version 2.0)	❌	✅
	1 = public conference
type	public	type of access to the conference (only for plugin version 1.2 and above)	❌	✅
	private
mode	smart_meeting* – smart meeting	conference mode	❌	✅
	moderated_role_based – moderated role-based conference
	all_on_screen – all on screen
	video_lecture – video lecture
max_smart_meeting_speakers	from 4 to the value set on the server	maximum number of speakers for smart meeting mode	❌	❌
max_moderated_role_based_speakers	from 1 to the value set on the server	maximum number of speakers for moderated role-based conference mode	❌	❌
max_smart_meeting_participants	from 4 to the value set on the server	maximum number of participants for smart meeting mode	❌	❌
max_moderated_role_based_participants	from 1 to the value set on the server	maximum number of participants for moderated role-based conference mode	❌	❌
max_all_on_screen_participants	from 2 to the value set on the server	maximum number of participants for "All on screen" mode	❌	❌
default_smart_meeting_speakers	from 4 to the value set on the server	default number of speakers selected for smart meeting mode	❌	❌
default_moderated_role_based_speakers	from 1 to the value set on the server	default number of speakers selected in moderated role-based conference mode	❌	❌
pin	0*	use PIN to join a conference	✅	✅
	1
waiting_room	all – everyone except the owner and the moderator	send participants to the waiting room as soon as they join a conference (disabled by default)	✅	✅
	unplanned – unplanned participants
	strangers – unplanned participants from other servers
	guests – guests
recording	0*	conference recording	✅	✅
	1
transcription	0*	Activate conference transcription (only for plugin version 2.0)	✅	✅
	1
on_join_mute_mic	0*	mute participant’s microphones upon joining a conference	✅	✅
	1
on_join_mute_camera	0*	disable participants’ cameras upon joining a conference	✅	✅
	1
disable_audio_remarks	0 - the default value for a private conference	disable audio remarks	✅	✅
	1 - the default value for a public conference
guest_send_messages	0	allow guests to send messages	✅	✅
	1*
guest_send_audio	0	allow guests to send audio	✅	✅
	1*
guest_send_video	0	allow guests to send video	✅	✅
	1*

* - default value