Quick start

Five minutes from curious to connected.

Welcome. This is the shortest possible path from landing on araucaria.club to having an account and using at least one service.

1. Read one essay

Pick one of the Why essays — Open Source is a good starting point — to understand why we do things the way we do. Two or three minutes is enough.

2. Request access

araucaria.club is invitation-based. If someone you know already has an account, ask them for an invite link. If not, send a short note to the address on the panel explaining who you are and why you’d like to join.

You’ll receive an email with a sign-up link and a one-time passphrase.

3. Create your araucaria account

Open the sign-up link. Choose a handle (the name that will appear on @you@araucaria.club) and a password. If you have a hardware security key or a passkey-capable phone, register it now — it replaces the password for daily use.

4. Pick your first service

• Like writing? Start with Matrix (group chat) or Pixelfed (photos).
• Like listening? Set up Navidrome and point a Subsonic client at it.
• Moving off Google Photos? Install the Immich mobile app and let it back up your camera roll overnight.

5. Set up a client

Every service has a web interface that works on any device. Most of them also have dedicated apps. Ask us for recommendations — the one you already know might not be the best one.

That’s it. You’re in.