How to Fix Jibri Installation Problems on Ubuntu 24.04

Introduction

If you recently deployed Jitsi Meet on a fresh server, chances are you ran into Jibri Installation Problems before your first recording even started. Ubuntu 24.04 changed several packages and security rules, and older Jitsi guides no longer work exactly the same way.

The result? Recording button appears… but recording never starts. Or Jibri connects… then instantly disconnects.

This guide explains not just what commands to run, but why things break and how to fix them properly for a stable production setup.

By the end, you will have a working recording server — not just temporarily fixed, but reliable.

Understanding How Jibri Works (Important Before Fixing)

Many troubleshooting attempts fail because people fix symptoms, not the cause.

Jibri is basically:

A virtual Chrome browser that joins your meeting like a participant and records the screen using ffmpeg.

So Jibri depends on:

1. Google Chrome
2. X server (display environment)
3. Sound devices
4. Proper permissions
5. Jitsi authentication
6. Correct Prosody configuration

If any one fails → recording fails.

Common Jibri Errors on Ubuntu 24.04

Here are the typical messages administrators see:

We will fix all of them step by step.

Jibri Installation Problems on Ubuntu 24.04 (Main Fix Section)

Ubuntu 24.04 uses newer system libraries and stronger sandbox rules. Jibri was designed earlier, so we must adjust the environment.

Step 1 — Install Required Dependencies Correctly

Do NOT follow old tutorials blindly.

Install base packages:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install openjdk-17-jre-headless ffmpeg curl wget unzip

Why this matters: Ubuntu 24.04 removed some legacy dependencies that older Jibri scripts expect.

Step 2 — Fix Google Chrome Crash Issue

Most recording failures happen because Chrome cannot start inside a virtual display.

Install Chrome:

wget https://dl.google.com/linux/direct/google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
sudo apt install ./google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb

Now fix sandbox permissions:

sudo usermod -aG audio,video jibri
sudo chmod 4755 /usr/lib/chromium/chrome-sandbox || true
sudo chmod 4755 /opt/google/chrome/chrome-sandbox

If skipped → Jibri instantly stops recording.

Step 3 — Configure ALSA Sound (Very Important)

Ubuntu 24.04 changed default audio behavior. Without virtual sound device → ffmpeg crashes.

Create config:

sudo nano /etc/asound.conf

Paste:

pcm.!default {
 type plug
 slave.pcm "loopout"
}

pcm.loopout {
 type dmix
 ipc_key 1024
 slave {
   pcm "hw:Loopback,0,0"
   rate 48000
 }
}

Restart audio:

sudo modprobe snd-aloop

Now audio exists for recording.

Step 4 — Fix X Server Display Problem

Error: No X display found

Install display server:

sudo apt install xserver-xorg-video-dummy x11-xserver-utils

Create display config:

sudo nano /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Add dummy monitor configuration (minimal required).

Then enable service:

sudo systemctl restart jibri

Now Jibri can “see” a screen to record.

Step 5 — Fix Prosody Authentication (Most Overlooked Issue)

If recording stays pending forever → authentication mismatch.

Edit:

/etc/prosody/conf.avail/yourdomain.cfg.lua

Add recorder user:

VirtualHost "recorder.yourdomain"
    authentication = "internal_plain"

Create user:

sudo prosodyctl register recorder yourdomain strongpassword

Restart:

sudo systemctl restart prosody

Step 6 — Configure Jibri Properly

Edit:

/etc/jitsi/jibri/config.json

Important fields:

"control-login": {
  "domain": "auth.yourdomain",
  "username": "jibri",
  "password": "password"
},

"call-login": {
  "domain": "recorder.yourdomain",
  "username": "recorder",
  "password": "strongpassword"
}

Wrong values here = recording never starts.

Step 7 — Fix Permission Errors

Ubuntu 24.04 tightened service security.

Run:

sudo usermod -aG adm,audio,video,plugdev jibri
sudo chown -R jibri:jibri /home/jibri

Then reboot server (important).

Testing Recording Properly

Start services:

sudo systemctl restart prosody
sudo systemctl restart jicofo
sudo systemctl restart jitsi-videobridge2
sudo systemctl restart jibri

Open meeting → click record.

Correct behavior:

1. Recording pending (5 seconds)
2. Jibri joins room
3. Recording starts

If Recording Stops After 10 Seconds

Usually Chrome GPU crash.

Fix:

sudo nano /etc/jitsi/jibri/config.json

Add Chrome flags:

"--disable-gpu",
"--no-sandbox",
"--disable-dev-shm-usage"

Restart Jibri.

Performance Tips for Stable Recording

• Minimum 4 CPU cores
• 8GB RAM recommended
• Separate server from Jitsi Meet
• Use SSD storage
• Do not host recordings on same disk as OS

Common Mistakes That Break Jibri

Production Recommendation

For reliable production:

• One Jitsi server
• One Jibri server
• Shared storage (S3 / Nextcloud optional)

This prevents overload and improves stability.

Conclusion

Fixing Jibri Installation Problems on Ubuntu 24.04 requires more than reinstalling packages. The issues usually come from Chrome sandbox, sound devices, display server, and authentication configuration working together.

Once all components are correctly configured, Jibri becomes extremely reliable and recordings start within seconds.