DeepSeek Harness (DSH) is accessed through a browser by default. For developers accustomed to local applications, opening a browser tab for every startup can be a bit cumbersome. The dsh-plugin-desktop plugin provides an alternative: it allows the DSH Web interface to run in a local native window instead of a browser tab.

This is a plugin maintained by kkaktus463. Its core role is to intercept DSH Web startup requests and present them in a desktop window. It does not start a new Harness process; instead, it attaches an existing process to the window. Ownership remains in one place: the Harness lifecycle persists beyond the window, and closing the window will never stop the server.

Core Features

The plugin provides the following capabilities:

  1. Open the DeepSeek Harness Web UI in a native window.
  2. Attach an existing server process to the window.
  3. Allow configuration of host, port, and executable.
  4. Check for and start the DSH Desktop application.

Install and Enable

Install the plugin using the official CLI:

dsh plugin --profile web add dsh-plugin-desktop

If using a local directory, you can use:

dsh plugin --profile web add ./dsh-plugin-desktop

After installation, verify that the configuration has taken effect (without starting Harness):

dsh --profile web --dump-config

Common Usage

By default, the plugin looks for dsh-desktop.exe from environment variables or the search path. If automatic discovery fails, you can specify the path in the configuration file.

The configuration file is typically located at $DSH_HOME/profiles/web/cordis.patch.yml:

- id: desktop
  config:
    executable: 'C:\Tools\DSH Desktop\dsh-desktop.exe'

Note: The patch replaces the entire config section, so any override must restate every required field, not just the changed fields.

Usage Scenarios and Notes

  • System requirements: Currently supports Windows systems only.
  • Dependency: The DSH Desktop application must be installed, or a warning will be displayed and the interface will fall back to the browser.
  • Permissions and behavior: The plugin runs with the permissions of the current DSH process. Closing the native window does not stop the DeepSeek Harness server; the server lifecycle is independent of the window.
  • Network binding: If the server is bound to a non-loopback address (such as 0.0.0.0 or a local network IP), the window will not open, because the browser is the more appropriate access entry point in that case.

With this plugin, the DSH development experience can feel closer to a desktop application. The plugin is licensed under the MIT License. For more details, see the GitHub repository: https://github.com/kkaktus463/dsh-plugin-desktop