MABNI.Your classroom. Your learning world.
FOR FAMILIES & TEACHERS

One main PC.
A whole classroom of discovery.

Mabni runs entirely on your own computer and local network. Coding editors, lessons, photographs and AI models are included. No cloud account or internet connection is needed during learning.

Learning on one PC

Extract the folder, then double-click Start Mabni.exe. The server and site open together. Keep the launcher open. Veyon is not needed for this setup.

Teaching a computer lab

Prepare your local network and Veyon, start Mabni on the main PC, then share its classroom link. Students only need a modern browser on the same network.

1 Prepare the classroom network

  1. Choose a Windows 10/11, 64-bit main PC. Extract the complete Mabni package to a normal folder, for example C:\Mabni.
  2. Connect the main PC and student computers to the same local router or switch using Ethernet or Wi-Fi. A router can create a classroom network even when its internet connection is unplugged.
  3. Prepare any required installers before the lab goes offline: Veyon for lab control, and Microsoft’s Visual C++ v14 x64 runtime if the main PC does not already have it. Mabni includes the official PHP runtime.
  4. Use the classroom’s trusted network profile. If Windows Firewall asks about PHP or Veyon, allow access on the trusted Private classroom network. Mabni does not change firewall rules for you.

The main PC stays on while the class works. Student computers do not need PHP, Node, Python or an internet account.

2 Install Veyon for computer lab control

Veyon lets the teacher view screens, demonstrate a lesson, assist a student and open the Mabni link across the lab. It is separate from Mabni’s own progress dashboard.

  1. Download the Windows installer from Veyon’s official website while you have internet access. Copy the installer to the lab. An administrator installs it on every PC.
  2. On the teacher PC, install Veyon Master, the service and the configurator. On student PCs, keep the service and configurator; you can deselect Master.
  3. On the teacher PC, open Veyon Configurator → General → Authentication and choose Key file authentication. This suits a lab without a shared domain login.
  4. In Authentication keys, create a key pair named teacher. Keep its private key on the teacher PC only and restrict access to the teacher’s Windows account or group.
  5. Export the public key and import it on each student PC. Configure the same authentication method there and apply the configuration. Never copy the private key to students.
  6. Set access control so only the authorised teacher can control student computers. Follow the official key permissions and access-control documentation for your Windows accounts.
  7. In Locations & computers, add a classroom and each student computer’s hostname or local IP address. Open Master and confirm that you can view a test student PC.
  8. You can export the classroom configuration as JSON and import it on the other PCs. Key files are handled separately. Apply the settings and test one student before copying the setup to the whole lab.

Veyon controls the computers. Mabni serves the learning platform. Both work over the local network; neither needs a cloud account for this classroom setup.

Official installation instructionsAuthentication & configurationAccess control

3 Start Mabni from one icon

  1. Inside the extracted Mabni folder, find Start Mabni.exe, with the Mabni logo. Double-click it.
  2. The launcher starts the included PHP server, waits until it is ready, then opens Mabni in your browser.
  3. Its window shows the address for this PC and the address to share with your classroom. If several network addresses appear, choose the adapter connected to the student computers.
  4. Use Teacher dashboard to set up a class, change the initial teacher password and create student profiles. An existing installation keeps its current password and records.
  5. Keep the launcher window open. Stop server or closing a launcher that started the server ends that classroom session; saved records stay in the folder.

The batch launchers still work as a fallback. On Linux or Raspberry Pi, install PHP 8+ beforehand and use START-MABNI.sh. For a manual Windows server, run:

New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force data/sessions
& .\runtime\php\php.exe -S 0.0.0.0:8000 server/router.php

Do not open index.html directly or use a static preview server for a class. Teacher login, progress sync and classroom commands need the included PHP server.

4 Copy the link and open the classroom

  1. In the launcher, click Copy class link. It looks like http://192.168.1.10:8000/, using the main PC’s actual local address.
  2. Paste that link into a browser on each student PC. localhost always means the computer you are using, so it is only the main PC’s link.
  3. With Veyon Master, select the classroom computers, choose Open website → Custom website, paste the same classroom link and click OK.
  4. Bookmark the link on student PCs. Reserve the main PC’s address in the router’s DHCP settings if you want it to stay stable.
  5. Choose an activity. Class profiles and the teacher dashboard work on the local PHP server. Progress queues retry after a temporary classroom connection loss.

Use the main PC’s actual address from the launcher. The sample address is not your lab’s address.

The class uses the local network, not the internet. Disconnecting the internet is fine; disconnecting the classroom network breaks access to the server until it reconnects.

5 Three learning areas, one platform

STEAM

Coding adventures, Scratch, ScratchJr, Spark Workshop and micro:bit MakeCode. Learn sequences and events, create stories, build circuits and control motors.

Digital Literacy

Mouse & Keyboard, Typing Studio and Mabni OS. Start with pointing and clicks, build keyboard confidence, then practise files, browsing, writing and email. Mouse adventures continue automatically after each success.

AI Literacy

AI Shape Trainer, Pip’s Patrol and Movement AI. Train models, test new examples and explore how your labels change a robot’s choices.

ActivityWhat children learn
Mouse AdventuresSix chapters with ten named levels each: hover, click, double-click, right-click, drag and scroll. The next level opens automatically. Touch alternatives are clearly labelled.
Keyboard AdventuresTwo chapters with ten levels each. Guide a robot with arrow keys, then practise letters, spaces, corrections with Backspace and delivery with Enter.
Typing StudioSix lessons from F and J to words, capitals, numbers and sentences. Accuracy first, with no countdown or pressure to race.
Mabni OS & emailA practice desktop with recognisable icons. Create a fake email account, sign in, read, compose, attach, search, star, save drafts and reply. Emails stay in the practice inbox.
Pip’s PatrolTeach Pip with real reference photos, then explore six robot trails with unseen photo encounters. Predictions change the route; errors can power the robot down. Review examples and improve training. Stop, keep a safe distance, do not touch, and tell a trusted adult.
Movement AIThe offline CreateAI trainer records micro:bit movement examples, trains a real model locally, tests unseen recordings and opens named ML events in local MakeCode. The trained model runs on a micro:bit V2. Practice recordings let you try the software without a board.
Image AI and USB roboticsThe optional image AI lab trains from local photos or camera frames. Its USB bridge sends predictions from the computer to the board; this is separate from the Movement AI model that runs on the V2 itself.
Creative editorsUse bundled Scratch, ScratchJr and MakeCode assets offline. Save project files and reopen them. micro:bit HEX downloads work without a board.

Pip’s Patrol is an AI lesson, not a real-world safety detector. A picture label never establishes that an object is safe. Do not ask children to approach, collect, move, mark or photograph suspicious objects. Use locally approved risk education alongside this activity. The built-in guide includes photo credits and primary references.

Micro:bit USB pairing depends on the browser and a secure origin such as localhost or HTTPS. On a classroom HTTP address, use the offline HEX download and copy it to the board’s MICROBIT drive. Physical board testing is still required when a board is available.

Scratch Makey Makey & micro:bit setup · Offline servos, motor drivers & robotics. Makey Makey works as a USB keyboard. Scratch micro:bit uses direct browser Bluetooth in Chrome/Edge at localhost or trusted HTTPS, with no native helper required. The old Windows Scratch Link installer is not a substitute for that direct path. The image AI lab’s optional USB and camera work on the main PC at localhost; photo uploads and the robot simulator work across the LAN.

6 Keep their work and protect the lab

When something needs attention

The launcher cannot start

Extract the complete package before running Start Mabni.exe. Check that runtime/php/php.exe is present. If Windows reports a missing Microsoft runtime, install the official Visual C++ v14 x64 redistributable before taking the PC offline. If a port is occupied by another server, choose a different port in the launcher. The launcher does not stop unrelated servers.

A student computer cannot open Mabni

Use the class link from the main PC, not localhost. Check that the launcher is open, both computers are on the same network, the router does not isolate Wi-Fi clients and the firewall allows the chosen port on the trusted classroom network. Confirm access from one student PC before opening the whole class.

Photos, editors or AI are missing

Copy the entire folder, including assets, vendor, scratch, scratchjr, microbit and runtime. Refresh after an update. Pip’s Patrol loads its CNN and photographs locally; it cannot fall back to an online AI.

Saved work looks missing

Use the same learner profile, browser, origin and device. Changing the server port changes the browser’s site storage. Reopen downloaded creative projects or restore an appropriate teacher backup.

Veyon can see a computer but cannot control it

Check the configured authentication method, the student’s imported public key, access-control rules and the private-key permissions on the teacher PC. Use the official Veyon troubleshooting documentation. Mabni does not handle Veyon credentials.

Release notes & verificationCredits & licencesOfficial Microsoft runtimeVeyon program features