Skip to main content

​
What is Kolibri?

Kolibri is an open-source, offline-first learning platform designed to bring high-quality educational content to communities with limited or no internet connectivity. Developed by Learning Equality, Kolibri enables teachers, coaches, and learners to access educational resources in environments where traditional online platforms are not viable.
Kolibri is MIT-licensed and freely available for use. The project welcomes contributions from developers worldwide.

​
Key Features

​
Offline-First Architecture

Kolibri is designed to work entirely offline, making education accessible in low-resource environments:
  • No internet required for day-to-day use
  • Content can be imported via USB drives, local networks, or one-time internet downloads
  • Peer-to-peer synchronization allows devices to share content and data without internet

​
Flexible Deployment

Kolibri runs on a wide variety of platforms and devices:
  • Desktop platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
  • Server deployments: Ubuntu/Debian servers, Raspberry Pi
  • Mobile platforms: Android (via Python-for-Android)
  • Containerized environments: Docker support

​
Plugin Architecture

Kolibri uses a modular plugin system that allows for extensibility and customization: 
# Example: Internal plugins defined in kolibri/__init__.py
INTERNAL_PLUGINS = [
    "kolibri.plugins.learn",       # Learner interface
    "kolibri.plugins.coach",       # Teacher/coach tools
    "kolibri.plugins.facility",    # User and facility management
    "kolibri.plugins.device",      # Device configuration
    "kolibri.plugins.setup_wizard", # Initial setup
    # ... and more
]
Each plugin can provide:
  • Frontend interfaces (Vue.js components)
  • Backend APIs (Django REST Framework)
  • Custom content renderers
  • Navigation elements and hooks

​
Multi-User Support

Kolibri includes comprehensive user and facility management:
  • Role-based access control: Learners, coaches, facility admins, and super admins
  • Multiple facilities on a single device
  • Progress tracking and reporting for learners
  • Class and group management for organizing users

​
Content Ecosystem

Kolibri can host diverse educational content:
  • Khan Academy exercises and videos
  • PDF documents and eBooks (EPUB)
  • Interactive HTML5 applications
  • Videos with subtitles and multiple languages
  • Quizzes and assessments (Perseus, QTI formats)
  • Slideshows and presentations

​
Internationalization

Kolibri supports over 35 languages and is designed for global use:
  • RTL (Right-to-Left) language support
  • Custom fonts for non-Latin scripts
  • Translation infrastructure using Crowdin
  • Locale-aware date, time, and number formatting

​
Architecture Overview

​
Backend: Python/Django

The server is built with Django and includes: 
# Core dependencies from requirements/base.txt
django==3.2.25
djangorestframework==3.14.0
morango==0.8.6  # Syncing framework
le-utils==0.2.13  # Learning Equality utilities
cheroot==10.0.1  # WSGI server
Key backend features:
  • Database support: SQLite (default) and PostgreSQL
  • REST API: Django REST Framework with custom ValuesViewset patterns
  • Authentication: Django-based with role-based permissions
  • Task queue: Background job processing for imports and syncs
  • Morango: Custom synchronization framework for offline data sync

​
Frontend: Vue.js

The client-side interface uses modern JavaScript: 
// Technology stack
{
  "vue": "2.7.16",  // Progressive framework
  "vuex": "...",     // State management (being phased out)
  "webpack": "5.x",  // Build system
  "jest": "30.x"     // Testing framework
}
Frontend features:
  • Vue 2.7 Composition API: Modern reactive patterns with setup()
  • Design system: Reusable components (KButton, KModal, KTextbox, etc.)
  • Theme tokens: Consistent styling with $themeTokens and $themePalette
  • Responsive design: Mobile-first with responsive-window/responsive-element systems
  • Accessibility: ARIA attributes and keyboard navigation

​
Build System

Kolibri uses a sophisticated build pipeline: 
# Frontend build (from package.json)
pnpm run build          # Production build
pnpm run watch          # Development watch mode
pnpm run watch-hot      # Hot module replacement

# Python distribution
make dist               # Create wheel files
make pex                # Create portable .pex executables
The build process handles:
  • ES6 → ES5 transpilation (Bublé)
  • Vue Single File Components
  • SCSS → CSS with auto-prefixing
  • Code minification and compression
  • Bundle splitting and lazy loading
  • Asset optimization (fonts, images)

​
Who is Kolibri For?

​
End Users

  • Learners: Students in schools, community centers, or home environments without reliable internet
  • Teachers/Coaches: Educators managing classes and tracking student progress
  • Administrators: IT staff deploying and managing Kolibri installations

​
Developers

This documentation is for developers who want to contribute to Kolibri:
  • Frontend developers: Building UI components, improving UX, adding features
  • Backend developers: Working on APIs, data models, synchronization, performance
  • Plugin developers: Creating custom plugins for specialized use cases
  • DevOps engineers: Improving build systems, CI/CD, deployment tools
  • QA engineers: Writing tests, improving test coverage, manual testing
If you’re looking for help using Kolibri (not developing it), please see the User Guide instead.

​
Technology Requirements

To develop Kolibri, you’ll need:
  • Python: 3.9 or higher (but below 3.14)
  • Node.js: Version 20.19.x (required)
  • pnpm: Package manager for JavaScript dependencies
  • Git: Version control with Git LFS extension
  • Operating System: Linux or macOS recommended (Windows via WSL)

​
Project Philosophy

​
Offline-First

Every feature must work without internet. Network connectivity is a bonus, not a requirement.

​
Low-Resource Environments

Kolibri must run on modest hardware:
  • Single-board computers (Raspberry Pi)
  • Older desktop computers
  • Shared servers with many concurrent users

​
Accessibility and Inclusion

Education should be available to everyone:
  • Support for assistive technologies
  • Multi-language support including RTL languages
  • Simple, intuitive interfaces for users with varying technical skills

​
Open Source

Kolibri is built in the open:
  • MIT license allows free use and modification
  • Community-driven development
  • Transparent decision-making and roadmap

​
Getting Help

As you work with Kolibri, you can:
The Kolibri project was founded by volunteers dedicated to making educational materials more accessible to those in need. Every contribution, large or small, makes a difference.

​
Next Steps

Quick Start

Get Kolibri running locally in minutes

Installation Guide

Detailed setup for all platforms

Architecture

Deep dive into Kolibri’s technical design

Contributing

Learn how to contribute code

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us