Kolibri User Guide¶
Kolibri is an open-source educational platform specially designed to provide offline access to a wide range of quality, openly licensed educational contents in low-resource contexts like rural schools, refugee camps, orphanages, and also in non-formal school programs.
Kolibri can serve high quality education content from several publicly available content channels, collections of educational resources (exercises, videos, audio or document files) and associated metadata, prepared and organized for their use in Kolibri. It works in conjunction with Kolibri Studio, the curriculum tool used to organize content and build custom content channels, aligned to the local curricula, or according to specific learning needs.
![]()
Some publicly available learning content that may be included in Kolibri.
Learners - start here¶
Weather you are using Kolibri at your school, in a training center or at home, learn how to open it on your device, what kind of content and activities can you work with, and how to submit exams created by your coaches or tutors.
For Coaches and Tutors¶
Read how to monitor activity and track the progress of your learners on whole topics and exercises, all the way to single answers to particular questions. Create and manage different learner groups, assign lessons, administer exams and view reports.
For Administrators and Superusers of Kolibri¶
Begin by reading how to install and start Kolibri server on the supported platforms, and configure other devices in the local network to access its content. Proceed on how to import content channels, create and manage users and classes. Configure the settings for your facility, and assign or edit permissions for other users. Learn how to work with Kolibri from the command line, troubleshoot network issues, and ask for support on our Community Forums.
Happy learning with Kolibri!

Install Kolibri¶
See the Kolibri changelog here. Documentation for other versions are available here.
To install Kolibri, check the system requirements first and then follow the procedure for the operating system on your device.
System requirements¶
Operating systems¶
- Windows Vista, 7, 8.1, 10
- Debian/Ubuntu: 14.04, 16.04 and up - anything that’s not end-of-life.
- Linux: Any system with Python 2.7
- Mac OSX 10.9, 10.10 and 10.11
- Debian/Raspberry Pi packages: Wheezy or later
- (planned) Android: 4.2.2 or later
Supported Browsers¶
- IE10+, Microsoft Edge
- Firefox
- Chrome
- (planned) Safari
- (planned) Epiphany on Raspberry Pi
- (planned) others on Android and iOS.
Video playback¶
Videos are MP4 encoded, and require no aditional installation of plugins or codecs.
Hardware requirements¶
Tip
You can download the full Kolibri Hardware Guide and examples of Hardware Configurations for Kolibri as PDF documents.
Clients¶
Very old desktops and very low-power computers can be used as client devices to access Kolibri. For instance, some deployments are known to use first-gen Raspberry Pi as desktop computers.
It is always a good idea to do a practical test, but when you want to deploy Kolibri, usually it’s not necessary to scale your hardware. The main concern is that your system needs a video card and driver that can play the videos.
Servers¶
Kolibri hardware requirements as a server are next to nothing.
- 256 MB
- 500 MHz CPU
- Hard drive space depends on the size of the content channels you intend to import into Kolibri
If you have a center with less than 30 computers, a device as simple as a Raspberry Pi is known to work fine as a server.
Windows¶
To install or uninstall Kolibri on Windows, follow these steps.
Install¶
- Download the Kolibri Windows installer.
- Double-click the downloaded
.exe
file. - Select the language for the installation.
- Follow the instructions in the installation wizard window.
- Once the installation finishes, Kolibri will auto-start and open in the default browser on your computer.
- Proceed with the Initial Setup of your facility.
Warning
Windows firewall will prompt you to allow the Python process needed to run Kolibri. Click Allow access to accept and proceed.
![]()
Allow the Python process needed to run Kolibri.
Uninstall¶
- Open the Windows Control Panel.
- Select Programs and Features option.
- Select Kolibri from the list of programs.
- Click the button Uninstall/Change and follow the instructions.
Upgrade¶
To upgrade Kolibri, follow these steps.
- Download the new version of Kolibri Windows installer.
- Double-click the downloaded
.exe
file. - Follow the instructions in the installation wizard window.
- Once the installation of the upgrade is finished, Kolibri will auto-start and open in the default browser on your computer.
- Go explore the new and improved Kolibri features!
Debian/Ubuntu Linux¶
Install from PPA repository¶
Use the following commands in Terminal to add the PPA and install Kolibri:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:learningequality/kolibri
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install kolibri
Install from a .deb file¶
The advantage of having a .deb
file is about portability. If you need to
install Kolibri on devices without internet access, you can copy the file from
device to device.
Go to learningequality.org/download and download the latest version (or have it copied to your local drive).
Download the Kolibri installer (
DEB
file).Run the command:
sudo dpkg -i kolibri-installer-filename.deb
Wait for the installation to finish and run this command to start Kolibri:
kolibri start
When command finishes, open the default browser at http://127.0.0.1:8080 and proceed with the Initial Setup of your facility.
Uninstall¶
- Open Software on Ubuntu and locate the Kolibri. Press Remove.
- Or from command line:
sudo apt-get remove kolibri
.
Upgrade¶
Upgrades are automatic when you use the PPA installation method.
To upgrade Kolibri with a .deb
, follow the same steps in Install from a .deb file.
MacOS¶
Warning
Full macOS installer is not yet available, but you can run Kolibri in Terminal using the package called PEX
.
Install¶
- Download the Kolibri PEX installer.
- Open Terminal in the folder where
PEX
file is located and run the command:
chmod +x kolibri-installer-filename.pex ./kolibri-installer-filename.pex start
- Once the command finishes, open the default browser at http://127.0.0.1:8080 and proceed with the Initial Setup of your facility.
Uninstall¶
- Delete the
PEX
file. - Delete the
./kolibri
folder in your user’s Home directory if you want to completely remove all the Kolibri files and content channels you imported.
Upgrade¶
To upgrade Kolibri, follow these steps.
- Download the new version of Kolibri PEX installer.
- Start Kolibri as during the first install.
- Go explore the new and improved Kolibri features!
Android¶
Warning
Final Android installer is not yet available!
Install¶
Allow the installation of Kolibri on your Android device.
Warning
This beta version of Kolibri Android installer is not yet available on Play Store, and in order to install it, you need to change a security setting (these steps may be slightly different depending on the device model and Android version):
- Open your device’s Settings app.
- Under Personal, tap Security.
- Under Device administration, tap Unknown sources.
Download the Kolibri Android installer (
APK
file).Tap the downloaded
.apk
file.Wait until the installation finishes.
Once you have Kolibri installed, tap Open and proceed with the Initial Setup of your facility.
Warning
Be mindful of the size of content channels that you import on your Android phone or tablet, as some of them can quickly fill your device’s storage.
Uninstall¶
- Open your device’s Settings app.
- Under Apps, tap Kolibri.
- Tap Uninstall button.
Upgrade¶
To upgrade Kolibri, follow these steps.
- Uninstall the previous version.
- Download the new version of Kolibri.
- Tap the downloaded .apk file.
- Wait until the installation finishes.
- Tap Open and go explore the new and improved Kolibri features!
Advanced installation options¶
Generic installation (pip install)¶
Once Kolibri is released, you may install it as a standard package from PyPi using this command:
$ pip install kolibri --pre
Debian/Ubuntu: Subscribe to updates through a PPA¶
We maintain a PPA on Launchpad and if you are connected to the internet, this will also give you automatic updates.
On Ubuntu/Debian/Raspbian, do this:
sudo apt-get install software-properties-common python-software-properties
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:learningequality/kolibri
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install kolibri
Raspberry Pi¶
Note
This section is pending instructions for creating a WI-FI hotspot. You can
install Kolibri on Raspbian following the above instructions for the PPA or
the pip install
method.
Nginx configuration¶
Note
This section is pending instructions for NGINX configuration. You can
install Kolibri on Raspbian following the above instructions for the PPA or
the pip install
method. If you are an experienced system administrator or
Django user, know that it is possible to use Kolibri with for instance
UWSGI+Nginx, using conventional methods.
Initial Setup¶
To do the initial setup of after the installation, follow these steps.
Note
You need to do the initial setup only once, the first time you start Kolibri after the installation.
Select the default language for Kolibri.
Select the default Kolibri language.
Tip
You can change the user interface language later, from the user menu in the upper right corner.
Name your facility. A Facility is the location where you installed Kolibri, such as a school or a training center.
Select the name for the facility where Kolibri is running.
Create the Admin account. This Admin user will be a Super User able to manage all the device content, and all the rest of the facility users and their permissions.
Select the username and password for the facility Super User.
Choose a Facility setup. Click the Setup details for more information about user permissions for each setup type.
Facility type | Users |
---|---|
Admin managed
For schools and other formal learning contexts.
|
|
Self-managed
For parent-child learning, homeschooling
or supplementary individual learning.
|
|
Informal and personal use
For libraries, orphanages, correctional
facilities, youth centers, computer labs,
and other non-formal learning contexts.
|
|
![]()
Choose a Facility setup.
![]()
View the Facility setup details.
Once you finish the initial setup, proceed to import some content, and create users (if you chose the Admin-managed facility setup). Make sure to check how to configure other computers in the network to access Kolibri.
Access Kolibri¶
Starting Kolibri on Windows¶
To start Kolibri on Windows, just double-click the desktop shortcut. You will see the notification message Kolibri is starting, please wait….
When you see the notification Kolibri is running…, Kolibri will open in the browser with the URL http://127.0.0.1:8080.
Kolibri Taskbar Options¶
While it is running, Kolibri will display an icon in the Windows taskbar (usually at bottom right, near the clock), that allows you to stop it and configure other settings.
![]()
Kolibri taskbar options.
- Use the Load in browser option to open Kolibri in the browser.
- By default Kolibri will start running every time you start the computer where it is installed. Uncheck the Run Kolibri at system startup option if you prefer to start it manually from the desktop shortcut.
- When installed, Kolibri will open in the browser every time it is started. Uncheck the option Open browser when Kolibri starts if you prefer to have it running in the background, and to open it manually in the browser by typing the URL http://127.0.0.1:8080 in the address bar.
- Select Exit to stop Kolibri. You will be prompted to confirm the selection, after which Kolibri will stop. You will have to close the browser (or the tab) manually.
Note
Remember to configure other computers in the network to access Kolibri content.
Starting Kolibri on Linux¶
- Run this command in Terminal to start Kolibri:
kolibri start
- Open the default browser at
http://127.0.0.1:8080
displaying the Kolibri start page.
Note
Remember to configure other computers in the network to access Kolibri content.
- Run this command in Terminal to stop Kolibri:
kolibri stop
Starting Kolibri on Android¶
Warning
Final Kolibri installer for Android is not released yet, support is experimental!
Go to Apps on your device and tap the Kolibri icon.

Tap the Kolibri icon among your device apps to start.
Accessing Kolibri from Other Devices in the Network¶
While Kolibri is up and running on the device where you installed it, other computers, tablets, even mobile phones in the same Local Area Network (LAN) can access its learning contents.
To access the content on the same device/computer where Kolibri is running, open the browser at the address
http://127.0.0.1:8080/
.To access the content from other devices in the same network, you need to know the IP address of one where where Kolibri is running. For example, if Kolibri is on a device/computer with IP address 192.168.0.104, you can access it from others in the same network by opening the browser and typing the address
http://192.168.0.104:8080
.You can check the IP (Server URL) of the device where Kolibri is running by going to Info tab in the Device dashboard, .
Find out the IP/Server URL in the Device > Info tab.
Tip
You can also use the ipconfig
command on Windows or ifconfig
command on Linux/OSX to find out the IP address of the device running the Kolibri.
Change Language¶
To change language in which Kolibri user interface is displayed, follow these steps.
- Open your user menu in the upper right corner.
- Select the Change language option.
- Choose the desired language.
- Click Select to confirm.
Manage Kolibri¶
Default User Roles¶
Kolibri users by default can be divided in 3 different roles with respective access to features.
Default user roles |
---|
|
|
|
Kolibri Super Users¶
Kolibri Super users have all device permissions and are able to assign them to other users. Therefore Super users can:
|
Assign Additional Permissions¶
By default, only Super users can view the Device dashboard, import/export Content channels in Kolibri, and modify Permissions for other users. However, depending on the needs of the institution, Super users can also grant these permissions to other users.
Manage Device¶
You can manage content and permissions, and view the detailed info of the device where Kolibri is running from the Device dashboard.
Note
To manage device settings you must have the appropriate permissions.
Assign Permissions¶
You can assign additional permissions to Kolibri users which will provide them access to more features compared to their user roles. To manage permissions for Kolibri users, use the Permission tab in the Device dashboard (Permissions icon).

Permission to Manage Content¶
To grant permission to manage content channels in Kolibri to another user, follow these steps.
- Click Edit permissions for the chosen user.
- Under Device Permissions activate the option Can import and export content channels.
- Click Save changes to apply and finish.

The users who have been granted the permissions to manage content channels will have a black key indicator in front of their name, and will be able to see the Device dashboard with the Content tab.
Super User Permissions¶
To grant Super user permissions to another user, follow these steps.
- Click Edit permissions for the chosen user.
- Activate the option Make superuser.
- Click Save changes to apply and finish.

The users who have been granted the Super user permissions will have a yellow key indicator in front of their name, and will be able to see the Device dashboard with both the Content and Permissions tabs.

View Device Info¶
To view the detailed info of the device where Kolibri is running on, use the Info tab in the Device dashboard (Info icon). This information will be useful in case you need to report an issue with Kolibri to FLE support team. Make note or copy the following device details:
- Kolibri version
- Server IP/URL(s)
- Database path
- Device name
- Operating system
- Free disk space
- Server time
- Server timezone

Find out the detailed device info in the Device > Info tab.
Manage Content¶
Note
To manage Kolibri content channels you must have the appropriate permissions.
Kolibri Content Channel is a collection of educational resources (video, audio or document files) prepared and organized by the content curator for their use in Kolibri. You can import and export content channels in Kolibri from the Content tab of the Device dashboard (Content icon).

Each Kolibri content channel has its own token/ID in Kolibri Studio. You can freely view and browse content to import from the public channels in Kolibri, but in order to import content from private or unlisted channels, you will need the channel token or ID from the content curator who assembled it.
Warning
The term Channel ID was valid for Kolibri versions up to 0.6, while from the Kolibri version 0.7 onward, we will start using exclusively the term token to uniquely designate each channel.
Import Content into Kolibri¶
Warning
Important: You cannot import your own files (videos, documents, etc.) as learning resources directly into Kolibri from your computer. Kolibri can only import content from:
- already curated content channels on Kolibri Studio, if the computer running Kolibri is connected to internet
OR
- an external storage drive (USB or hard drive) where content channels have been previously exported to from another Kolibri installation, if the computer running Kolibri is not connected to internet
To import your own files for use in Kolibri, you need to register at Kolibri Studio site (it’s free), and build your own content channel that you can subsequently import into Kolibri. Read more about how to do this in our Kolibri Studio user guide.
Tip
As a precaution, we recommend you avoid other interactions with Kolibri (navigate away or manage users, for example) while content import is in progress.
To import content into Kolibri, follow these steps.
- Click Import button in the Content page.
- Choose the source option: Kolibri Studio or Attached drive or memory card.

Import Content from Kolibri Studio¶
If the computer where Kolibri is running has an Internet connection with the sufficient bandwidth, follow these steps to import content channels.
Choose option Kolibri Studio, and you will be able to see all the available public content channels.
Click Select button for the desired channel, and wait for Kolibri to display the channel information and the topic tree.
In the Select content page you will see all the details of the selected channel: description, version, total size and number of learning resources, with the information weather you have some of the resources from that channel already imported on the local device.
Under Choose content to import you can browse the channel topics and individual resources. Use the Select all checkbox to import the content channel in full, or select only certain topics or resources. As you keep selecting, you will see the total number and size on disk under Resources selected:, and the remaining space on your device.
Click Import button once you finish selecting all the desired content.
Wait for the content to be downloaded and click Close for the new channel to appear under the Content heading.
If you need to import content from a private/unlisted channel, scroll to the bottom of the Kolibri Studio page.
Click on Try adding the token link, and enter the channel token/ID received from the channel curator on Kolibri Studio.
Click Confirm to unlock channel, or Cancel to exit.
Proceed to select and import channel topics and resources as for the public channels.
Import Content from a Local Drive¶
If the computer where Kolibri server is running does not have access to Internet or has insufficient bandwidth, you have the option to receive content channels stored on an external drive (USB stick or hard disk). Follow these steps to import content channels.
- Connect the external USB drive to your computer.
- Choose option for Attached drive or memory card, and click Continue.
- Kolibri will automatically detect and display the drive(s) with available Kolibri content files.
- Select the drive where the desired channel is stored, and click Continue.
- Click Select button for the desired channel, and follow the same steps for selecting topics and resources as for the import from Kolibri Studio.
Tip
Workaround for import from external drive on older devices.
If Kolibri is installed on an older or a low-resource device, you can try the following procedure for importing content channels for faster results.
- Stop Kolibri.
- Browse the local drive with the file explorer of your operating system.
- Copy the
content
folder located inside theKOLIBRI_DATA
folder on the local drive. - Paste the copied
content
folder inside the.kolibri
folder on your hard disk. The location of the.kolibri
folder will depend on your operating system (see the table below). - Confirm the merge of the two folders.
- Restart Kolibri, and the new channels should now be available.
Operating system Location Windows C:/Users/<your_username>/.kolibri/
OSX HD/Users/<your_username>/.kolibri/
Linux /home/<your_username>/.kolibri/
On Linux and OSX you will need to enable the Show hidden folders option in order to view the
.kolibri
folder.
Export from Kolibri to Local Drive¶
If you want to make available the content you have imported on your Kolibri device, to another computer where Kolibri is installed, follow these steps to export your content channels.
Note
You must have an external drive (USB stick or hard disk) attached to your device.
Click Export button in Content page.
Select the local drive (export destination) where you wish to export Kolibri content, and click Continue.
In the Export to <name-of-your-drive> page you will be able to see all the available content channels on your device.
Click Select button for the desired channel, and wait for Kolibri to display the channel information and the topic tree.
In the Select content page you will see all the details of the selected channel: description, version, total size and number of learning resources.
Under Choose content to export you can browse the channel topics and individual resources. Use the Select all checkbox to import the content channel in full, or select only certain topics or resources. As you keep selecting, you will see the total number and size on disk under Resources selected:, and the remaining space on the destination drive.
Click Export button once you finish selecting all the desired content.
Wait for Kolibri to export the selected content and click Close.
Once the export is finished, safely disconnect the drive according to the recommended procedure for your operating system, and proceed to import channels on other devices.
Note
This procedure makes a copy of the content
folder located inside the .kolibri
folder on your hard disk, and places it the KOLIBRI_DATA
folder on the selected local drive. This structure is recognized by the Import from local drive command.

Peer-to-Peer Content Synchronization¶
Stay tuned!
Manage Facility¶
You can edit facility configuration settings in Kolibri from the Configuration tab in your Facility dashboard.
- Activate the options you want to make available for the users of your facility. You have the possibility to allow users to edit their full names and usernames, to sign in without password (except Admin users), and to allow guests to sign up and use Kolibri.
- Click Save changes to apply and finish.

Note
To manage facility settings in Kolibri you must sign in as Super user or Admin.
Manage Users¶
You can search for, filter, add, and edit user accounts in Kolibri from the Users tab in your Facility dashboard.

Note
To manage Kolibri users you must sign in as Super user or Admin.
Create a New User Account¶
To create a new user account, follow these steps.
- Click Add New button.
- Fill in the required information (name, username, password).
- Select user profile (Admin, Coach or Learner).
- Click Create Account to add the new user.

Select Users by Type¶
- Click All Users selector to display user types.
- Toggle between options to filter the user roster according to type, or leave it as All Users to display all.

Edit User’s Account¶
To edit username, full name or account type, follow these steps.
- Click on the Manage button for the desired user and select the Edit option.
- Edit Full name or Username in the Edit user window.
- Click Save to update the edited information, or Cancel to exit without saving.

Reset User’s Password¶
- Click on the Manage button for the desired user and select the Reset user password option.
- Enter the new password in both fields.
- Click Save to confirm, or Cancel to exit without changing the password.

Delete User’s Account¶
- Click on the Manage button for the desired user and select the Delete option.
- Click Yes to confirm, or No to exit without deleting the account.

Manage Classes¶
You can view, create and delete classes, as well as search, filter and enroll Kolibri users in them, using the Classes tab in your Facility dashboard. Default view displays the list of all classes in your facility, with the number of enrolled users for each class.

Note
To manage Kolibri users you must sign-in as Super user or Admin.
Add New Class¶
To add a new class, follow these steps.
- Click Add new class button.
- Fill in the class name.
- Click Create to add the new class, or Cancel to exit.

Delete Class¶
To delete class, follow these steps.
- Click Delete class button for the chosen class from the list.
- Click Delete class in the confirmation window to proceed, or Cancel to exit without deleting the class.

Note
Users enrolled in the class you are deleting will not be removed from the database.
Edit Class and Enroll Users¶
To edit a class select it from the default view in the Classes tab. In the following Class view you can change class name, remove currently enrolled users from the class and enroll new ones.
Change Class Name¶
To edit class name, follow these steps.
- Click on the Edit button (pencil icon) next to the class’ name.
- Write the new name in the Class name field.
- Click Update to confirm the edited information, or Cancel to exit without saving.

Enroll users to class¶
Click the Enroll users button on the class details page.
- List in this view contains all the users currently NOT enrolled for the selected class.
- You can search for a specific user by name.
Use checkboxes to select all the user in the list, or specific users you want to enroll to class. You can also use the New user account button to create a new user AND enroll them at the same time.
Click Review & save button.
Click Yes, enroll users to confirm, or No, go back to exit without enrolling the selected users.

Remove users from class¶
- Click Remove button for the chosen user.
- Click Remove from class to confirm, or Cancel to exit without removing the user.

Note
Users removed from the class will not be deleted from the database, and you can still access their accounts from the Users tab in the Facility dashboard.
Manage Data¶
Note
To manage Kolibri users you must sign-in as Super user or Admin.
You can download Kolibri Detail and Summary logs usage data and export in the CSV format from the Data tab in your Facility dashboard.

Working with Kolibri from the Command Line¶
Warning
In Windows you need to open cmd.exe
Command prompt in the folder where Kolibri executable is located: c:/Python27/Scripts
.
Make sure not to include the angle brackets “< >” in the commands below.
If you see errors in the prompt/terminal output while running the commands below, ask for help at our Community Forums, or file an issue on GitHub.
Start/Stop Kolibri¶
In case you need to troubleshoot potential problems while running Kolibri, you may try to start it manually from the command line.
kolibri start --debug --foreground
kolibri stop
Run Kolibri from a Different Port¶
If you need to change the default port 8080
from which Kolibri is serving content, add the following flag to the previous command.
kolibri start --port <new-port-number>
Import Content Channels from Internet¶
To import content channels from Internet, run these two commands in sequence. The first downloads the channel database, and the second downloads the resources (videos, documents, etc.).
kolibri manage importchannel -- network <Channel ID>
kolibri manage importcontent -- network <Channel ID>
Export Content Channels¶
To export Kolibri content channels on a local drive in order to share it with another device, run these two commands in sequence. The first exports the channel database, and the second exports the resources (videos, documents, etc.).
kolibri manage exportchannel -- <Channel ID> /path/to/local/drive/KOLIBRI_DATA
kolibri manage exportcontent -- <Channel ID> /mount/mydrive/KOLIBRI_DATA
The path should be to a folder named KOLIBRI_DATA
at the root of the local drive, so it will get picked up later for importing via the Web UI.
Create a New Super User¶
In case you need to create another Super user, either to address additional need of managing facility, or if you lost the password for the old one, run the following command:
kolibri manage createsuperuser
You will be prompted to input the Username and Password and the new Super user user account will be created.
Change Language¶
kolibri language setdefault <langcode>
Language | <langcode> |
---|---|
English | en |
Spanish (Spain) | es-es |
French | fr |
Swahili (Tanzania) | sw-tz |
Arabic | ar |
Farsi | fa |
Urdu (Pakistan) | ur-pk |
Backup and Restore Kolibri Database¶
Kolibri automatically creates a backup of the database with every version upgrade. If for some reason you need to make a manual backup, use the following command.
kolibri manage dbbackup
This command will create a time-stamped .dump
file in the ./kolibri/backups
folder that you can use to restore the database with the following command.
kolibri manage dbrestore --latest
If you need to restore a backup version prior to the latest one, you must specify the full path to a specific *.dump
file.
kolibri manage dbrestore ~/.kolibri/backups/db-xxxx.dump
Warning
This command is not intended for replication across different devices, but only for restoring on a single device from a local backup of the database.
Change the Location of ALL Kolibri Files¶
If you want to change the directory where all of Kolibri’s runtime files go, the imported content channels, you need to change the environment variable called KOLIBRI_HOME
to the path of your choice.
If the variable is left unset, by default, Kolibri’s runtime files and content will be placed in your user’s Home
folder, under the .kolibri
subfolder.
There are many ways to set an environment variable either temporarily or permanently. To start Kolibri on OSX or Linux with a different home, follow these steps.
- Stop the server.
- Move the
.kolibri
folder to the new location. - Run the following in Terminal:
KOLIBRI_HOME=/path/to/new/home kolibri start
When you start the server again, all your files should be seamlessly detected at that location.
To change the environment variable KOLIBRI_HOME
on Windows, follow these steps.
- Stop the server.
- Move the
.kolibri
folder to the new location. - Run the following in Command Prompt:
setx KOLIBRI_HOME "/path/to/new/home"
Restart the server, and your files should be seamlessly detected at the new location.
Alternatively, you can follow these steps in the GUI.
Go to Computer > Advanced System Settings and press the Environment Variables button.
Under User Variables for… press the New… button.
Input the new path and press OK on both open windows.
Restart Kolibri.
Support and Troubleshooting¶
Report a problem with Kolibri¶
If you want to contact the Learning Equality Support team to report an issue, or share your experience about using Kolibri, please register at our Community Forums.
Once you register on our forums, please read the the first two pinned topics (Welcome to LE’s Support Community and How do I post to this forum? )
You can add a new topic with the + New Topic button on the right. Make sure to select the Kolibri category in the Create a New Topic window so it’s easier to classify and respond to.

Our technical users, including software developers, should follow the instructions on our Developer documentation for reporting bugs.
Troubleshoot Network Issues¶
- Can you access Kolibri when you type
http://127.0.0.1:8080
in the address bar of the browser? - Can you access anything from the external IP of the device running Kolibri FROM the device itself?
- Can you ping the external IP address from another device on the network? For example, if Kolibri is on a device/computer with IP address
192.168.0.104
, type this in the Terminal or Command prompt:
ping 192.168.0.104
About IP addresses¶
0.0.0.0
= A special IP address on the server (your device running Kolibri and “serving” its content to others in the local network), which actually means “all available IP addresses”. It’s a kind of alias. But accessing0.0.0.0
from another computer doesn’t make sense and doesn’t work. By default, Kolibri will serve on0.0.0.0
, which essentially means all IP addresses that are available on the device will render Kolibri accessible.127.0.0.1
= A device’s local IP address, meaning “myself”. Some people joke and say “There’s no place like 127.0.0.1”, meaning “there’s no place like home” :) This can be used on the serving device itself to test that Kolibri is running, in case you need a failsafe way of checking that Kolibri is in fact running and responsive.192.x.y.z
= Addresses starting with192
are local network IP addresses. The same thing can be said about10.x.y.z
. The address that you wanna use to enter on the clients/tablets in order to contact the server will in most cases start with192
or10
.- Port number: Kolibri runs on port
8080
. When you access something on an IP address, you need a port. Ports can be open or closed on the server, but they can also be regulated by firewall rules on the way.http://
<- this is the protocol that the browser reads out from the “URL”, which is just some text that describes Kolibri. http://192.168.1.1:8080
means: “Connect to IP address192.168.1.1
on port8080
with the HTTP protocol”. The browser will the continue to try to reach this address, but may fail for instance if Kolibri isn’t running, or if a step along the way blocks access.
Locate Kolibri log files¶
When you report a problem with Kolibri, we may ask you to send us Kolibri log files to help us find out why is it not working or crashing.
Open the .kolibri
folder inside the Home of the device where Kolibri is running and locate these two files:
kolibri.log
debug.log
Videos are not playing¶
Make sure to check the system requirements to see if you can support video playback. Please report any issues on our Community Forums, stating the operating system and browser you are using.
Coach your Learners in Kolibri¶
You can track progress of the Learner users, create and assign Lessons and Exams to classes or learner groups from the Coach dashboard. The default view of the Coach dashboard presents the list of Classes with number of learners enrolled to each class.
Select a class from the list to access the progress-tracking features and create exams.
View Learner Reports¶
This is the default view when you select a class from the Coach dashboard. It displays the list of learners in the class and the group they are asigned to.
When you click the username of a learner, you will see the list of content they accessed and when were they last active on each of the channels:
![]()
Learner Reports present a quick view of all the content accessed by a learner.
Tip
Username of the selected learner will be the last item in the breadcrumb menu on the top.
Navigate the topic tree of each channel to see the progress of the selected learner for the topics, subtopics and individual resources. In the image below you can see that the learner abbyl accessed and completed only one of the subtopics from the topic Addition and Subtraction to 10:
![]()
Learner Reports across topics for the selected content channel.
Review Exercise Progress¶
When a learner answers exercise questions in Kolibri, the progress bar below the exercise is taking into account only the most recent given answers, meaning that the learner must complete the required number of correct answers (check marks) in the row for the exercise to be considered completed.
![]()
The correct answers in the image above are not in a row; this exercise will be completed only after the learner gives 5 correct answers one after another.
In the example below, the progress bar for the exercise Subtract within 5 will appear as 40%, because the student has given 2 correct answers within the most recent set of 5 attempts. For example: If this student had made 20 incorrect attempts before the 4 displayed attempts, those 20 incorrect attempts would not get factored into the progress bar.
Click the exercise title to see all the answers and attempts on each question. In the figure below, you can see the progress of the learner Hansen for the exercise Numbers to 120. The exercise is still In progress as the learner has not completed the 5 correct answers in the row. You can also see that for the Question 13, the learner has given the correct answer only on the 4th attempt, which indicates that they are still struggling with the given concept.
![]()
View the details for all the answers and attempts for a single exercise.
How does it looks if learner A does 5 correct answers in a row on their first try, but learner B gets 10 wrong answers in a row before giving 5 correct ones in a row? In both cases, the progress would show as 100%, and you would have to click each learner’s name to access their progress report and attempt history.
In the figure below, you can see the progress of 5 learners for the exercise Numbers to 120 in ascending order.
![]()
View the progress for a single exercise or resource in a topic.
Manage Groups¶
In case you need to further divide learners inside classes, for example to address the different progress needs or levels, you can use the Groups feature. Create and delete groups, as well as assign learners to them from the Groups tab in your Coach dashboard. Default view displays the list of all groups for the selected class, with the list of assigned learners for each group.
Note
To manage Kolibri groups you must sign in as Super user, Admin or Coach.
Create a New Group¶
To create a new learner group, follow these steps.
- Click the New group button.
- Give group a desired name.
- Click Save to confirm, or Cancel to exit without creating a group.
Assign Learners to Group¶
Below the existing groups there is a list with all learners currently NOT assigned to any groups.
Use checkboxes to select all the learners in the list, or specific ones you want to assign to the group.
Click Move learners button on the right side of the list.
Select the group to which you want to assign the selected learners in the Move learners window.
Click Move to proceed, or Cancel to exit without assigning.
Move learners between groups¶
Use checkboxes to select all the user in one group, or specific users you want to assign to another group.
Click Move learners button on the right side of the origin group.
Select the group to which you want to move the selected learners, or the Ungrouped option if you want to remove them from the origin group without assigning to a new one.
Click Move to proceed, or Cancel to exit without moving.
Rename Group¶
To rename group, follow these steps.
- Click the down arrow icon on the right edge of the desired group.
- Select the Rename group option.
- Input the new name for the group in the confirmation window.
- Click Save button to proceed, or Cancel to exit without renaming the group.
Delete Group¶
To delete a group, follow these steps.
- Click the down arrow icon on the right edge of the desired group.
- Select the Delete group option.
- Click Delete group button in the confirmation window to proceed, or Cancel to exit without deleting the group.
Note
Learners currently assigned to group will become ungrouped.
Manage Lessons¶
Kolibri Lessons offer you the possibility to prepare smaller selections of available learning resources and assign them to learners on a temporary basis. You can select resources from multiple channels, and copy the created lessons to other classes or groups as needed.
To view, create or delete lessons, as well as assign them to learners, use the Lessons tab in your Coach dashboard. Default view displays the list of all lessons created for the selected class, the number of resources they contain, groups they are asigned to, and their status indicator. You can filter the lessons in order to see all, or just active/inactive ones.

Note
To manage Lessons in Kolibri classes and groups, you must sign in as Coach or Admin.
Create New Lesson¶
To create a new lesson, follow these steps.
- Click the New lesson button.
- Fill in the field for the lesson title, description and set the visibility.
- Click the Continue button. In this step, the lesson does not have any learning resources yet, but you can see and edit some options.
- Click the Add resources button, and select the content channel from which you wish to select resources for the lesson.
- Keep navigating the topic tree of the selected content channel until you arrive to single content items. Use the checkboxes to select the resources you want to include in the lesson.
- Click Save to confirm the selection and finish.
- Use the Arrow up and Arrow down buttons to reorder the resources in the lesson, and click the Remove button to delete them. You will see a confirmation notification at the bottom.
- To add more resources to the same lesson and keep editing if needed, follow the steps 4 to 7 again.
Change Lesson Status¶
A newly created lesson is Inactive by default, meaning that learners will not see it in their Learn view. To change the lesson status, follow these steps.
- Click the Change link under the Status heading.
- Select Active or Inactive.
- Click Save to confirm, or Cancel to exit without change.
Change Lesson Visibility¶
You can change the visibility of the lesson that you set when you initially created it. To reasign the lesson to a different group, or entire class, follow these steps.
- Select the desired lesson from the list in the Lessons tab.
- Click the Options button, and select Edit details.
- Select Entire class or the group(s) of learners to whom you wish to assign the lesson under the Visible to heading.
- Click Save to confirm, or Cancel to exit without change.
Copy Lesson¶
To copy a lesson to a different group or another class of your facility, follow these steps.
Select the desired lesson from the list in the Lessons tab.
Click the Options button, and select Copy lesson.
Select the class to which you wish to copy the lesson to.
If the destination class has more than one group, select Entire class or the group(s) of learners to whom you wish to assign the lesson.
Click Save to confirm, or Cancel to exit without change.
If the lesson is copied to another group in the same class, it will appear in the Lessons tab as the Copy of…. Follow the steps in the next heading to rename it.
Rename Lesson¶
To rename a lesson, follow these steps.
- Select the desired lesson from the list in the Lessons tab.
- Click the Options button, and select Edit details.
- Change the lesson title in the confirmation window.
- Click Save to proceed, or Cancel to exit without renaming the lesson.
Delete Lesson¶
To delete a lesson, follow these steps.
- Select the desired lesson from the list in the Lessons tab.
- Click the Options button, and select Delete.
- Click Delete in the confirmation window to proceed, or Cancel to exit without deleting the lesson.
Manage Exams¶
You can view, create and delete exams, as well as assign them to learners, using the Exams tab in your Coach dashboard. Default view displays the list of all exams in a selected class, with a series of options to set the visibility, (de)activate when required, and view report of students who took them.

Note
To manage Exams in Kolibri classes and groups you must sign in as Coach or Admin.
Create New Exam¶
To create a new exam, follow these steps.
Click the New exam button.
Select the content channel from which you wish to select questions for the exam.
Click Create exam to confirm, or Cancel to exit the confirmation window.
Fill in the field for the exam title.
Fill in the field for number of questions you want the exam to contain.
Navigate through the topic tree and activate checkboxes of those exercises you want to include in the exam.
As you keep adding the exercises you will see confirmation messages at the bottom.
Click Preview button to view the result before finishing.
- Click Randomize questions button to present them in the different order from those in the topic origin.
- Click Close button to return to the exam home page.
- Click Finish button to save the result.
Change Exam Visibility¶
Newly created exam will be visible to entire class by default. To assign an exam to one group of learners instead of the whole class, follow these steps:
- Click Options for the desired exam and select the Change visibility option.
- Select the group(s) of learners to whom you wish to assign the exam.
- Click Update to confirm, or Cancel to exit the confirmation window.

Activate/Deactivate Exam¶
Once you set the visibility of exam to the chosen group(s) of learners, you need to Activate it in order for it to appear in the Learn view of the learners to whom you assigned it.
- Click Options for the desired exam and select the Activate option.
- Click Activate to confirm, or Cancel to exit the confirmation window.
- When the exam period concludes, select the Deactivate option and confirm.
View Exam Report¶
To view the report and scores for learners who have taken the exam, follow these steps.
Click Options for the desired exam and select View report option.
This view prominently displays the number of learners who already submitted the exam and their average score. It also presents the list of all the learners who had access to the exam, with the respective statuses and scores. Click the name of the learner to view the detailed report with preview of results for each question.
Click each of the questions to preview it and understand better which question learners answered correctly in the exam and how many attempts they had on each answer.
Delete Exam¶
To delete exam, follow these steps.
- Click Options for the desired exam and select Delete option.
- Click Delete button in the confirmation window to proceed, or Cancel to exit without deleting the exam.
Warning
All data from the exam you are deleting will be lost.
Rename Exam¶
To rename exam, follow these steps.
- Click Options for the desired exam and select Rename option.
- Change the exam title in the confirmation window.
- Click Rename button to proceed, or Cancel to exit without renaming the exam.
View Class Recent Activity¶
Use this view to access the full report channels and items (exercises and resources - videos, reading material, etc.) accessed during the last 7 days by learners of the selected class.
If the class learners have access to more than one channel, you will see the list of channels firstly. From there, you can navigate by topics and subtopics until you arrive to a specific item. In the item’s view, you can review the progress of each learner in the class that accessed the item.
View Class Activity by Topic¶
Use this view to access the full report of activity progress for the selected class. You can navigate channels by topics and subtopics until you see the progress of each class learner for a specific item.
![]()
Use the topic view to see the average progress for exercises and resources for all the learners in the class.
When you navigate to the last level in the topic tree, you can see the average progress of all class learners for each exercise or resource (video, document, HTML5 activity) in that particular topic.
Learn with Kolibri¶
Access Kolibri¶
Note
- If you are using Kolibri in your school, education center or facility, your coach or administrator will provide the instructions how to open the sign-in page, and username and password if necessary.
- If you are using Kolibri on your own, outside an education center or facility, follow the instructions how to Access Kolibri according to your operating system.
To sign in to Kolibri and start learning, follow these steps:
Type your username and password (may be optional).
Click the SIGN IN button.
Main sign in page.
Warning
If you start browsing Kolibri as a guest, you need either to select Sign in option from the Guest menu in the upper right corner, or from the sidebar menu (left or bottom) to open the sign-in page.
![]()
Location of links to “Sign in” to Kolibri.
Once you have logged in into Kolibri, you can see and edit your user data from the Profile option in the main sidebar menu (below Learn).
![]()
View and edit your user profile.
- To sign out from Kolibri you can either:
- Click the user icon in the upper right corner and select Sign out option, OR
- Select Sign out option in the main sidebar menu.
Learn with Kolibri¶
Classes¶
Each time you login into Kolibri, the first thing you will see is the Learn page with the list of all the classes you are enrolled to.
![]()
Learn start page with all your classes.
Select one of your classes to access Lessons and Exams your teachers or coaches prepared for your class.
![]()
You can see all your lessons and exams in the Class tab.
Channels¶
Channels tab offers you the option to navigate through the complete set of learning topics and materials available in Kolibri. Use it as you wish, or according to indications from your teachers and coaches.
Depending on how your school and teachers or coaches decided to organize the content, you may have one or more channels available here. Follow the indications by your teachers or coaches on how to use the content from each available channel.

Content in Kolibri is grouped in channels.
Recommended¶
In the Recommended tab you can see various sections:
- Most popular displays the most frequently used materials in your school or facility.
- Next steps displays suggestions according to topics and materials you previously visited.
- Resume displays activities that you started but haven’t finished yet.
- Featured in… displays a preview of activities for each content channel you have access on Kolibri.
Note
Next steps and Resume are not visible if you are browsing as a guest.
The number of displayed content items in each row will depend on the width of your display, but you can browse through with the See previous and See next icons at the beginning and the end of the section rows.
![]()
Learn page gives you access to all Kolibri learning content and activities.
Search¶
If you are looking for a specific subject, topic, or term, use the Search feature:
- Click the magnifying glass icon in the upper right corner.
- Type the word or combination of words you are looking for in the search field.
- Press Enter to display search results below the field.

Search page gives you option to search for a specific term in Kolibri.
Content types¶
Exercises¶
Kolibri Exercises can require you to do different things: fill in a missing number, write a formula, choose one of the available options, etc. Each correct answer gets you a check mark, and majority of exercises require 5 correct answers in a row to be completed. Some exercises can offer one or more hints, to help you solve the problem.
Independent of the required action (writing an answer yourself or choosing one of the options), these are the steps to follow.
Read the question carefully.
Write the answer or choose one of the provided options.
When you are ready to submit, click the Check answer button.
- If the answer is correct and a check mark appears, click the Next question button to proceed.
- If the answer is incorrect, click the Get a hint button, read the suggestions, and try to answer again.
- The progress bar below the exercise is taking into account only the most recent answers you give, and that means that you need to have the required number of correct answers (check marks) in the row for the exercise to be considered completed.
The correct answers in the image above are not in a row; this exercise will be completed only after you give 5 correct answers one after another.
Once you have achieved the required number of correct answers in a row, click the Next item button, to continue learning with the rest of the material in that topic.
If you are unable to solve some questions, try reviewing the videos in the Recommended section below the exercise, or seek help from your peers or teacher/coach.

Exercise page in Kolibri.
Video and Audio Player options¶
To play videos and listen to audio files in Kolibri you have several available control buttons at the bottom of the player screen. Move the cursor or tap on the player screen to make appear the control buttons while playing.

Kolibri video and audio player.
(controls at the bottom of the player)
- Play/Pause buttons
- Rewind/Fast forward buttons by +/- 10 seconds
- Time tracker indicator with progress bar
- Video duration indicator
- Volume scrollbar
- Playback speed selector
- Display closed captions (subtitles)
- Fullscreen button
Use the Download content button below the player to download the video, audio and thumbnail files to your computer. Some videos will provide multiple resolution options.
PDF Viewer options¶
Note
Options for viewing PDF files will depend on the browser and operating system you are using to view Kolibri.
- Use the Enter fullscreen button to open the PDF file in fullscreen view.
- Use the Esc key to close the fullscreen view and return.

Use the Download content button below the PDF viewer to download the PDF file to your computer.
Lessons¶
When your teacher or coach prepares a lesson, that is a recommended set of learning resources for you or your class to view, it will be available in the Class tab, below the Lessons heading. You may have more than one lesson available at the time.
Click on a lesson title to open its content, and follow the indications of your teachers or coaches on how to use it.

Here you will find learning topics and materials related to what you were doing the last time you used Kolibri, or those recommended by your teachers and coaches (not visible if you are browsing as a guest).
Exams¶
If your teacher or coach scheduled an exam for you or your class, it will be available in the Class tab, under the Exams heading. You may have more than one exam available at the time.

Press the button Start when you are ready to start taking exam.
You can go on answering the questions in the order you prefer: move through questions with Previous and Next question buttons, or click on the question number in the column on the left side.
Each time you fill in the answer field, or select one of the available options, the question will be marked by a colored dot in the column on the left side.
You can review and correct your answers to all questions as many times you need before submitting.
Press the Back to exam list if you want to pause the exam and come back later.
Press the button Continue to resume when you are ready.
Press the button Submit exam when you are positive that you answered all the questions, and you want to submit it for grading.
You will see instant feedback with the result of your exam.

Frequently Asked Questions¶
How much does Kolibri cost to install?¶
It is FREE – both free as in “free speech” and free as in “free beer”! To learn more about free software, see this Free Software Foundation article.
Do I need the internet to run Kolibri?¶
Short answer: No! You can bring or send a storage device (USB or HDD unit) with Kolibri installer and content channels downloaded somewhere with available internet connection, and install everything on an completely offline device.
In a nutshell, Kolibri can run independently of internet availability, but you need to procure the installer and content channels from somewhere for the initial installation and for subsequent upgrades.
One possibility is to have Kolibri installed in one location with internet connection, where you can import content channels from Kolibri Studio (curriculum tool and content curation server), and then export them to removable USB drives that you bring or send to offline locations (rural schools, refugee camps, etc.) to import locally.
What languages is Kolibri available in?¶
Both Kolibri and Kolibri Studio are translation-ready and currently available in these languages:
Language | Kolibri | Kolibri Studio |
---|---|---|
English | ✓ | ✓ |
Spanish (Spain) | ✓ | ✓ |
Spanish (Mexico) | ⨯ (✓ ver 0.5) | ✓ |
French | ✓ | ⨯ |
Swahili (Tanzania) | ✓ | ⨯ |
Arabic | ✓ | ⨯ |
Farsi | ✓ | ⨯ |
Urdu (Pakistan) | ✓ | ⨯ |
Hindi | ⨯ (✓ ver 0.4) | ⨯ |
To contribute to Kolibri and Kolibri Studio as a translator, you can get started over on our translations and internationalization page.
What are the typical deployment scenarios?¶
There is no typical deployment scenario. However, we can share with you what we’ve learned from our community of KA Lite and Kolibri users. A typical school deployment varies depending on whether or not a school already has a computer lab.
- School with an existing computer lab: In this case, Kolibri would be deployed as a server on one of the existing computers. Students would connect using client devices over the local network.
- School with no existing computer lab: For schools that do not have an existing computer lab, a Kolibri deployment would involve obtaining a device that can run as a Kolibri server (most computers) and other devices to be used as clients. One common configuration is using a Raspberry Pi or other inexpensive computer as a server and relatively cheap tablets as client devices.
What are some possible hardware configurations for deploying Kolibri?¶
To deploy Kolibri for multiple users you will need:
- Server device: a computer that is running the Kolibri software (e.g. a desktop computer, laptop, or Raspberry Pi).
- One or more client devices that have web browsers (laptops, tablets, desktop computers, etc)
Note
For a single-device deployment (1) and (2) can be the same computer, with the browser connecting to the locally running Kolibri server. To make the software accessible to multiple client devices, you will need to put them on the same local network as the Kolibri server device (1), e.g. through a WIFI access point.
To read more details, see the full Kolibri Hardware Guide and examples of Hardware Configurations for Kolibri (PDF documents).
How can I generate content aligned to local curriculum?¶
Use Kolibri Studio curriculum tool to curate content channels aligned to your local requirements. Once you finish creating the channels on Studio, you can import them on all your Kolibri deployments for use in learning environments.
Bulk Downloads of Content Channels¶
Coming soon!
At this time we do not support bulk downloads of content channel outside the Kolibri platform. In the near future, we will consider offering bit torrents for certain global content channels.
Something isn’t working!¶
Refer to the Troubleshoot and Support section of this guide.
Who maintains the Kolibri project?¶
Kolibri is created, maintained, and operated by Learning Equality, Inc, a California-based nonprofit organization.
How do you operate in the field?¶
The Learning Equality team primarily works in our San Diego offices, building software and shaping our road map based on our interactions with our partners around the world. We work with individual humanitarians and NGOs of all sizes to help them distribute Kolibri to offline communities around the world, and will work on site for research and training purposes.
What is Kolibri’s affiliation with Khan Academy?¶
Kolibri is an independent, open-source project maintained by Learning Equality, and is not officially affiliated with Khan Academy, although they are very supportive of the Kolibri project, and are one of our key partners.
Can I contribute to Kolibri as a developer?¶
Yes! Kolibri is an open source project, and developers are encouraged to contribute!
Can I contribute to Kolibri as a translator?¶
Yes, absolutely! To contribute to Kolibri and Kolibri Studio as a translator, you can get started over on our translations and internationalization page.
Get in touch¶
Getting support¶
If you want to contact the Learning Equality Support team to report an issue, or share your experience about using Kolibri, please register at our Community Forums.
Once you register on our forums, please read the the first two pinned topics (Welcome to LE’s Support Community and How do I post to this forum? )
You can add a new topic with the + New Topic button on the right. Make sure to select the Kolibri category in the Create a New Topic window so it’s easier to classify and respond to.

Feedback¶
New ideas¶
Until we can present a proper feedback platform, we encourage you to post any new ideas to the Community Forums.
Technical issues¶
If you are certain that you have found a technical issue, please open up an issue report in our public software repository, following the guidelines: