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Installation

Getting the DEJA Server running takes about two minutes. One command installs everything — then you link your account and start the server.

Requirements

  • Node.js 20 or later — check with node --version. If you need to install it, visit nodejs.org.
  • A USB cable connecting your DCC-EX EX-CommandStation to the computer running the server.
  • A supported platform:
Platform Notes
macOS (Intel or Apple Silicon) Works out of the box
Linux (x86_64 or ARM64) May need serial port permissions (see below)
Raspberry Pi (Pi 4 or 5) Runs great — plug in your EX-CommandStation via USB
Windows 10/11 (x64 or ARM64) Native support — use the PowerShell command below (installs Node.js automatically via winget)

Install

Open a terminal on the computer connected to your EX-CommandStation and run:

macOS / Linux / Raspberry Pi:

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

Windows (PowerShell):

irm https://install.dejadcc.com/install.ps1 | iex

🪟 Windows support is new. deja login, start, stop, status, logs, and update are supported; devices and deploy are supported too. Everything installs under %USERPROFILE%\.deja, and the installer adds Node.js 20 LTS via winget when it's missing.

The Throttle onboarding wizard walks you through the same steps — when you run deja login, your browser opens with your new layout ready to select, so the server links to the right place.

What the Installer Does

The installer handles setup automatically:

  1. Detects your platform — confirms macOS, Linux, Raspberry Pi, or Windows and the correct architecture.
  2. Checks Node.js — verifies you have Node.js 20 or later. If not, it tells you how to install it.
  3. Sets up configuration — creates the ~/.deja/ directory with your environment file and credentials.
  4. Detects serial ports — scans for USB devices that look like a DCC-EX EX-CommandStation.
  5. Downloads the server — pulls the latest release, checks it against the release's SHA-256 checksum, and installs dependencies.
  6. Installs the deja CLI — adds the deja command to your terminal so you can manage the server.

Once it finishes, two commands get you running:

deja login

Links this install to your DEJA account and layout — opens a browser tab to connect.

deja start

Launches the server and connects to your EX-CommandStation.

Serial Port Permissions (Linux / Raspberry Pi)

On Linux, your user account may need permission to access USB serial ports. If the installer warns you about this, run:

sudo usermod -a -G dialout $USER

Then log out and log back in for the change to take effect. This only needs to be done once.

Reinstalling

If something goes wrong or you want a fresh start, just run the install command again:

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

This downloads a clean copy of the server and reconfigures everything. Your account and layout stay the same.

What Gets Installed

Everything lives in ~/.deja/ inside your home directory:

Path What it is
~/.deja/bin/deja The deja CLI command
~/.deja/server/ The server runtime
~/.deja/config.json Your account and layout configuration
~/.deja/.env Environment variables (Firebase credentials, feature flags)
~/.deja/logs/ Server log files

Next Steps