Guide · install

Install DeepSeek Harness

The fastest way to install DeepSeek Harness is the npm launcher. You do not clone the monorepo unless you want to hack on core packages.

1. Run the Web UI from npm

npx @deepseek-ai/dsh web

That command is an alias of dsh --profile web. It bootstraps the web profile on first use and serves the official browser app. Open the printed URL (default http://127.0.0.1:3080). Add a DeepSeek API key under Settings → Models.

2. Run from source

git clone https://github.com/deepseek-ai/deepseek-harness.git
cd deepseek-harness
pnpm install
pnpm run build
pnpm dsh web

Source is the right path if you are writing first-party-style packages or following the official “your first plugin” tutorial, which expects a repository checkout.

3. Install a community plugin

Plugin management is pnpm, forwarded by the launcher into the profile directory:

dsh plugin --profile web add github:owner/repo

Example — the first widely adopted vision plugin:

dsh plugin --profile web add github:liustack/modlens

Some authors ship a .dsh-plugin folder and want:

dsh plugin --profile web add github:vlln/whale-girl#main&path:/.dsh-plugin

4. Headless one-shot

dsh --profile headless "summarize this repo"

Headless boots a fresh persisted session, prints the final answer, and exits. Useful in CI. It is still a plugin tree — the same community packages can be added to the headless profile if they do not assume a browser.

Common failures

• Preview software: official README says there will be compatibility-breaking changes. Pin versions.
• A GitHub topic tag is not an install contract. If apply() is missing, it is not a Cordis plugin.
• Do not stack five Web UI packs on day one. Start with one sidebar or one vision plugin.

FAQ