How to manage TrueConf plugin for Microsoft Outlook in a centralized way
There is a centralized method for managing TrueConf for Outlook plugin: it is possible to edit the configuration file config.json on the server side.
To make use of this feature, you need to have the plugins of the following versions:
- TrueConf for Outlook web version 2.0 or above.
or
- TrueConf for Outlook desktop version 1.2.x or above;
Plugin configuration is version-specific.
We recommend version 2.0 or later of the web plugin, since it includes support for the latest TrueConf Server features, such as conference logging.
You can download the latest web version from the link on our website (only if you have TrueConf Server 5.5.0+):
And also from the Microsoft Store and from the control panel of your server as shown here.
We also covered centralized configuration settings for Mozilla Thunderbird in a separate article.
Configuration file setup
To ensure that all subsequent changes to the file are saved, it must be opened with administrator rights (for Windows) or superuser rights (for Linux).
The config.json file for the desktop version is stored at the path:
For Windows:
C:\Program Files\TrueConf Server\httpconf\site\public\plugins\outlook-desktop\For Linux:
/opt/trueconf/server/srv/site/public/plugins/outlook-desktop/
The config.json file for the desktop version is stored at the path:
For Windows:
C:\Program Files\TrueConf Server\httpconf\site\public\plugins\outlook-web\For Linux:
/opt/trueconf/server/srv/site/public/plugins/outlook-web/
Each configuration file has 3 sections:
defaults - here, one can set the parameters that will be used by default. For example, you can set "pin": 1, now when creating a conference, the box "use PIN to enter the conference" will be enabled by default, but it can be disabled.
All parameters in this section take individual values specified in the table.
lock – here you can set the parameters that will be “locked” (cannot be changed). For example, you can set "pin": true, and in this case, the user will see that PIN is mandatory and this requirement cannot be disabled.
All parameters in this section can be set to either false or true.
hidden – this section is needed for hiding parameters. For example, if you set the parameter "pin": true, the user will not see this parameter when creating a conference.
All parameters in this section can be set to either false or true.
You don’t have to use any unnecessary parameters; if any of the parameters are skipped, the TrueConf plugin will take default values.
Available options
Below you can find the list of all the parameters available in the plugin. All of them can be used in the “defaults” section. There is also additional information indicating which of them are available for the “lock” and “hidden” sections.
For all parameters that can be enabled/disabled, use true or 1 to activate the parameter, and false or 0 to deactivate it.
| 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) | ❌ | ✅ |
| private | ||||
| mode | smart_meeting* | conference mode | ❌ | ✅ |
| moderated_role_based | ||||
| all_on_screen | ||||
| 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 | ||||
| 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* | ||||
* - used by default
| Key | Value | Purpose | Available for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| lock | hidden | |||
| virtual_room | 0 | conference type – with a schedule or without it | ✅ | ✅ |
| 1* | ||||
| additional_conf_time | from 0* to 1439 | extending the duration of each conference created with the plugin. The duration will be extended relative to the time of the event to which the conference is linked (the value is specified in minutes). | ❌ | ❌ |
| expiration_time_updating_allowed | 0 | allow conference time extension | ✅ | ✅ |
| 1* | ||||
| expiration_time_alert | 300 | notify that the conference will end in N minutes (the value is specified in seconds) | ✅ | ✅ |
| 600* | ||||
| 900 | ||||
| 1800 | ||||
| 3600 | ||||
| auto_termination_enabled | 0* | end the conference automatically according to the schedule (only for plugin version 2.0) | ✅ | ✅ |
| 1 | ||||
Example of parameter configuration
Let's configure our settings file to enable the Remember me option so that users don't have to enter their login and password each time.
We will set the following options by default:
Maximum number of participants for the "All on screen" mode – 9
Conference mode – “all on screen”
Mandatory use of PIN code for joining a conference
Enable conference recording
Mute participants’ microphone upon joining a conference
Turn off participant’s cameras upon joining a conference
Allow guests to send messages
Prohibit guests from sending audio
Prohibit guests from sending video
Scheduled conference
Extend the duration of each conference created with the plugin. A conference will be extended by 25 minutes relative to the time of the event to which this conference is linked.
Allow conference time extension
Notify that a conference will end in 15 minutes (900 seconds).
We will also lock the following parameters:
PIN for joining the conference
Prohibit guests from sending audio
Prohibit guests from sending video.
Finally, we will hide the parameters below:
Conference type — “internal conference”, now a user can only create public conferences
Conference mode — “video lecture”
Conference recording settings.
We will get the file config.json with the following content:
{
"remember_me": false,
"defaults": {
"conference": {
"mode": "smart_meeting",
"pin": 0,
"recording": 0,
"on_join_mute_camera": 0,
"guest_send_messages": 1,
"guest_send_audio": 1,
"guest_send_video": 1,
"server_url": "server_url",
"allow_server_change": true,
"guest_participants": 0
}
},
"lock": {
"conference": {
"pin": false,
"recording": false,
"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
}
},
"hidden": {
"conference": {
"type": {
"private": false,
"public": false
},
"mode": {
"smart_meeting": false,
"moderated_role_based": false,
"all_on_screen": false,
"video_lecture": false
},
"pin": false,
"recording": false,
"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,
"transcription": 0,
"auto_termination_enabled": 0
}
}
}If you have any issues with the plugin after changing the parameters, you can download the standard config.json file by following this link.