Onboarding

The onboarding wizard (/onboarding) guides new users through initial setup after signing up. A progress tracker along the bottom of the page shows every station on the line — Create Account → Name Layout → Choose Plan → Install Server → Ready to Drive! — and most users are done in a few minutes.

Onboarding Steps

Step 1 — Create Account

Sign up at DEJA Cloud using Google, GitHub, or email and password. After signing in, the onboarding wizard starts automatically.

Step 2 — Name Your Railroad

Give your railroad a name — a unique layout ID is created for you automatically from the name.

Your layout ID scopes all data in DEJA.js — locomotives, turnouts, effects, routes, signals, and commands are all tied to this ID.

Step 3 — Choose Plan

Pick the plan that fits your layout. Hobbyist is free forever and needs no credit card; Engineer and Conductor both start with a 30-day free trial.

You can change plans at any time from the Cloud app's Settings page. Plan deep links such as /onboarding?plan=engineer preselect a plan in the wizard.

Step 4 — Install the DEJA Server

The final step connects your railroad to the real world. It has three parts:

1. Run the installer on the machine connected to your DCC-EX EX-CommandStation (a Raspberry Pi, Mac, or Linux box):

   curl -fsSL https://install.dejajs.com | bash
   

2. Connect your account by running deja login on that machine. The CLI shows a short one-time code (like MKQP-37XR) and opens DEJA Cloud in your browser — check the code matches your terminal, pick your new layout, and click Authorize. The CLI finishes on its own, and the server stays logged in from then on. Installing on a headless Raspberry Pi over SSH? Open the printed link from your phone or laptop instead.

3. Start the server with deja start.

While the installer runs, the wizard rotates through setup tips & tricks, and celebrates the moment your server comes online: "Your Railroad is Connected!" From there you're ready to drive trains.

You can click Skip for Now to explore the Cloud app first and install the server later. The setup steps are always available on the Connect page and the Setup Complete page.

After Onboarding

After completing the wizard you are taken to the Setup Complete page, where you can:

• Add your first locomotive to the roster — just enter the DCC address programmed into your locomotive decoder
• Access the server setup steps again
• Browse quick links to documentation sections

Changing Your Plan

Upgrade, downgrade, or cancel at any time from the Settings page. Manage in Stripe opens the Stripe Billing Portal for payment methods, invoices, or cancellation. Paid plans begin with a 30-day free trial — you aren't charged until it ends, and cancelling before then costs nothing.