A simple script to automatically launch a Blackboard Collaborate Ultra session. Zero clicks and zero interaction required.
View Demo Video
Example_1.mp4
Launching Blackboard Collaborate Ultra takes nearly 10 clicks: 3 to login, 1 to open the class, 3 to launch Collaborate, and then 2 to close the annoying “Check Your Microphone/Webcam” screens. This tool reduces that to 0 clicks and requires zero interaction, so it can be automatically launched at class time via cron
or the “Task Scheduler.”
You will require python3
(≥ 3.8), Firefox, and geckodriver
. This script has been tested on Windows and Linux, but it should work on macOS as well.
- Install Firefox and
python3
. - Place
geckodriver
somewhere in yourPATH
, or add its location to the config file. - Run:
pip3 install -r requirements.txt
- That’s it!
I have used this script for an entire semester with zero issues; however, it is heavily reliant on the exact structure of the Blackboard website, which may change at any time. Nevertheless, I can confirm that this script is fully functional as of April 2021. If anything changes to make this script stop working, feel free to raise an issue or submit a PR.
usage: blackboard_collaborate.py [-h] [-c CONFIG] class_name
A simple script to automatically launch a Blackboard Collaborate Ultra session.
positional arguments:
class_name The name of the class to launch, as specified in the config file.
optional arguments:
-h, --help show this help message and exit
-c CONFIG, --config CONFIG
The configuration file to use. Defaults to “./blackboard_collaborate.ini”.
See https://github.com/gucci-on-fleek/Blackboard-Collaborate-Launcher for full documentation.
[General] # Place global settings in the [General]
# Section. They will be applied to all classes.
base_url = https://bb.example.edu # The base Blackboard URL. (Required)
# You must include “https://” or “http://”
username = john.smith # Your Blackboard Username. (Required)
password = SuperSecretPassword # Your Blackboard Password. (Required)
hide_ui = False # Hide the UI of the browser so that only
# Blackboard Collaborate is visible. (Optional)
raspberry_pi = False # Enable hardware acceleration of videos on
# the Raspberry Pi. (Optional)
profile_picture = C:\image.png # A path to the profile picture to use in
# Blackboard Collaborate. (Optional)
driver_path = C:\geckodriver.exe # The path to geckodriver. (Optional)
[ClassOne] # The class name. You can have unlimited
# classes; just give each its own [section].
course_id = _12345_6 # The Course’s ID. Found in the query string
# in the Blackboard URL. (Required)
launch_button = Math 101 - Course Room # The text found in the button used to
# open the class. (Required)
[Biology] # Launch this with
# “blackboard_collaborate.py Biology”.
cOuRsE_iD = _98765_4 # All keys are case-insensitive.
launch_button = Biology 300 - Lecture
hide_ui = True # You can override any setting from [General].
Unless otherwise stated, all files are licensed under the Mozilla Public Licence, version 2.0 or later.