When developing or running local services in DSH, you usually need to open PowerShell, enter a command, wait for the service to start, and then open the browser to access it. dsh-shortcut-creator compresses this flow into a single form on the Settings page. It uses PowerShell to generate a local startup script and create a desktop shortcut, with support for automatically opening the browser and attempting to pin it to the taskbar.

Plugin Overview

  • Name: dsh-shortcut-creator
  • Maintainer: Yvesgao
  • Category: Client
  • License: MIT
  • Positioning: One-click creation of a Windows desktop shortcut from the DSH Settings page; turn any local service into a double-click desktop icon that automatically opens the browser and can be pinned to the taskbar.

Core Features

  1. Settings Page UI
    The plugin registers a settings.section named “Desktop Shortcut” on the DSH Settings page and provides a form for entering the name, command, URL, and working directory.

  2. Host JSON API
    Executes the PowerShell engine via POST /plugins/desktop-shortcut/api/install and uses the .../status endpoint to report platform status.

  3. Launcher Generation
    Generates a .cmd launcher with port checking. If the service is already running, it opens the browser directly; otherwise, it waits for the service to start before opening the browser and keeps the window running (closing the window stops the service).

  4. Taskbar Pinning
    Attempts to pin the shortcut programmatically. If the target type cannot be pinned programmatically, it prints fallback guidance: “Pin the running window”.

Installation and Enablement

Install it using the bundle format; after installation, you need to restart the web process.

dsh plugin --profile web add github:Yvesgao/dsh-shortcut-creator#main

After installation, restart the dsh web process to activate the plugin.

Usage

  1. Open Settings → Desktop Shortcut.
  2. Fill in the form details, including the name, command, URL, and working directory.
  3. Click Create. The plugin generates a .cmd launcher, a desktop .lnk shortcut, and attempts to pin it to the taskbar.

Applicable Scenarios and Notes

  • Platform Limitation: Supports Windows only. The Settings page appears on all platforms, but non-Windows platforms will show an error message (it depends on the PowerShell engine).
  • Process Restart: After installation, you must restart the web process to load the new plugin.
  • Plugin Management: Installed plugins are recommended to be managed using the lightweight console from plugin-registry (browser panel), supporting stack management, row insertion, and start/stop operations, without manually modifying configuration.

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