Introduction

When running long tasks with agents, you probably encounter this scenario: halfway through a task, you suddenly want to ask, “What was the name of that config file just now?” Sending it directly to the main input box sends the question into the main conversation, and the running task has to stop to process this interruption—a small question that takes a few seconds to answer interrupts the entire main thread.

Claude Code solves this problem with the /btw command: the question takes a side path, and the main thread continues running. dsh-btw does the same thing: porting this capability to the web interface of DeepSeek Harness (dsh). The philosophy behind dsh is “everything is a plugin,” and /btw is such a community addition. Below is an introduction to its positioning, features, installation, and usage.

What is it

dsh-btw is a dsh web client plugin maintained by kezboardpj, under the MIT license, package name dsh-btw-side, current version 0.1.1. One-sentence positioning: While the agent is working, use /btw <question> to quickly ask a small question without interrupting the main task at all—it is the dsh web port of Claude Code’s /btw.

After sending /btw <question>, the question takes a side path, answered by a one-off sub-agent concurrently; the main agent continues working, unaffected throughout.

Core Features

Bypass Questions, Single-turn Streaming Response

Use /btw <question> in the dsh web main input box to bypass a question. The main agent continues working, and the bypass sub-agent answers concurrently. The answer is output in a single-turn streaming fashion by the one-off sub-agent, displayed in a floating panel that pops up above the input box.

Sub-agents can only view, not use tools

The bypass sub-agent fully inherits the main conversation context—no truncation, no 48KB limit—so it can answer questions related to the current task. However, it cannot use any tools and can only answer based on what it sees.

Available from the first round

Unlike Claude Code’s /btw, dsh-btw has no prerequisites; it can be used from the first round of conversation.

Panel Operations and Display

Press Esc or click × to close the panel; while the answer is being output, you can click “Stop” to cancel. Next to the send button is a small btw capsule. Clicking it opens an empty panel where you can manually type a question.

The panel only displays the question and the answer; it does not display the Chain of Thought (CoT); tool call markers hallucinated by the model will be truncated.

Question Persistence and Thread Memory

Zero trace in the main input box; questions are not persisted to disk. The bypass Q&A is retained as a record of the one-off sub-agent. It can be viewed in read-only mode in the sub-agent panel, but further conversation cannot continue.

Subsequent /btw commands will replay the last 20 bypass Q&As as context, providing memory continuity between consecutive small questions.

Installation and Enablement

First, confirm the environment: DeepSeek Harness (dsh) >= 0.1.1-rc.2 must be installed, and it must be a regular installation with the web UI.

Then execute the installation command:

dsh plugin --profile web add dsh-btw-side

Replace the profile name in the command with your actual configuration (web / tui / custom).

After the steps above, the installation is complete. Note that the plugin does not support hot loading; you need to restart dsh for it to take effect after installation.

Typical Usage

In the dsh web main input box, enter a complete line and press Enter:

/btw 刚才那个 config 文件叫什么名字？

A floating panel will pop up above the input box. The question is automatically filled in, and streaming answers start immediately; the main agent continues working, unaffected.

If you don’t want to type the full command, click the small btw capsule next to the send button to open an empty panel and manually enter the question.

Scenarios and Notes

The scenarios where dsh-btw is suitable are very specific: you are running a long task, and you just want to interject to ask a small matter related to the current conversation—like a file name or what a certain configuration is called. The sub-agent inherits the full context, making it perfect for answering this type of question.

Conversely, questions requiring actual operations (editing files, running commands) should not use /btw, because the bypass sub-agent cannot use any tools. Such requirements should be handled in the main conversation.

Finally, a reminder: the plugin runs with the permissions of the current dsh process. You should check the plugin’s source code and license before installing. dsh-btw uses the MIT license, and the source code is open on the GitHub repository.

Summary

dsh-btw solves a small but frequent problem: wanting to interject and ask a question while the agent is working. The question takes a side path, the main thread doesn’t move, questions aren’t saved, and answers are transient. If you often run long tasks in dsh web, you can install and try it.

  • Community Directory Page: https://www.skillhub.cn/plugins/kezboardpj/dsh-btw
  • GitHub Repository: https://github.com/kezboardpj/dsh-btw