Run Harness and install your first plugin
A concise path adapted from the official DeepSeek Harness documentation: start the Web UI, configure a model and workspace, then install a community plugin into an isolated profile.
DeepSeek Harness is currently a developer preview, so interfaces and plugin formats may change incompatibly. This page keeps the essential official flow and adds the installation and safety context directory users need.
01Start the Web UI
Install Node.js, then run this command from the project directory you want to use as a workspace:
npx @deepseek-ai/dsh webThe Web UI starts at http://127.0.0.1:3080 by default and opens locally. Add --no-open when running remotely or when you do not want a browser to open.
02Configure a model
Open Settings → Models, enter your API key in the DeepSeek card, and save. The route becomes available immediately without a restart, and the saved key is only shown in masked form.
For OpenAI, Anthropic, a company gateway, or another compatible endpoint, use Add provider or Add custom provider. A custom route needs a provider ID, base URL, protocol, credential, and at least one model.
Open the official model guide03Select a workspace
Choose Select workspace, add the project directory where you started Harness, and select it. The workspace defines the default files the agent can access. The prompt remains disabled until a workspace is selected.
04Run a first task
Create a session and begin with a read-only task that makes the model and workspace connection easy to verify:
Summarize this repository and explain what its main directories are responsible for.
The agent can read and edit workspace files, run commands, and maintain plans. The Web UI asks before operations that require approval under the current permission policy.
05Install a plugin
Harness uses profiles to isolate plugin combinations. The commands below use dsh as in the official docs. If it is not installed globally, replace the leading dsh with npx @deepseek-ai/dsh.
For GitHub installs, pin the repository to a commit SHA so future pushes cannot silently change the code you run:
dsh plugin --profile demo add github:owner/repository#<commit-sha>Replace demo with your profile name, and replace owner/repository and commit-sha with the values from the plugin page. Harness initializes a new profile on first use.
06Verify and launch
Inspect the resulting configuration first, then launch the profile:
dsh --profile demo --dump-config
dsh --profile demoBundles load in the order they were added. The profile's own cordis.patch.yml applies afterwards, so it can override plugin defaults.
07Remove a plugin
Remove a plugin from the same profile when you no longer need it. This removes both the dependency and its configuration layer:
dsh plugin --profile demo remove <plugin-package-name>08Before installing
Git installs usually fetch source. A TypeScript plugin may build through a prepare script, while pnpm 10+ requires explicit authorization. Only add the exact package key to allowBuilds after reviewing and trusting the source, then retry. Packages published to npm or delivered as prebuilt tarballs usually avoid build authorization.
- Review source and installation scripts
- Pin a commit SHA instead of a moving branch
- Use separate profiles for separate purposes
- Authorize only build scripts you have verified
This page reorganizes and summarizes the official documentation. DeepSeek Harness changes quickly; when commands or configuration differ, follow the official docs.