Preface

When using local services with DeepSeek Harness (DSH), you typically need to open a terminal to run commands, or manually open a browser to access the service address. This kind of manual operation is inefficient in scenarios requiring frequent switching or a fixed access entry point.

The dsh-shortcut-creator plugin solves this problem. It allows users to generate a Windows desktop shortcut directly from the DSH Settings page, enabling the service to start and the browser to open automatically with a double-click, while also providing the ability to pin it to the taskbar.

Plugin Introduction

This plugin is maintained by Yvesgao and belongs to the client-side plugin category. Its core objective is to simplify the start-up workflow for local services, converting operations that originally require manually typing commands or opening a browser into a double-click action on the desktop.

The plugin uses built-in PowerShell scripts to implement shortcut generation and taskbar pinning logic, so users do not need to write additional scripts.

Core Features

The plugin provides the following four core capabilities:

  1. Settings Page UI
    A configuration block named “Desktop Shortcut” is registered in the DSH Settings. Users can fill out a form in this block, including the service name, start command, access URL, and working directory.

  2. Host JSON API
    It provides two JSON API endpoints:

    • POST /plugins/desktop-shortcut/api/install: Executes the PowerShell engine to generate a desktop shortcut.
    • .../status: Reports the current platform status.

  3. Launcher Generation
    The plugin generates a .cmd launcher file.

    • This file starts the specified service command and keeps the console window alive (closing the window stops the service).
    • The launcher includes built-in port-checking logic, automatically opening the default browser after the service is ready.
    • If it detects that the service is already running, it opens the browser directly to avoid duplicate startup.

  4. Taskbar Pinning
    The plugin attempts to pin the generated shortcut to the Windows taskbar. If system policies prevent programmatic pinning, the plugin prints fallback instructions explaining how the user can manually pin the running window.

Installation and Enablement

Installing this plugin requires restarting the DSH Web process. Run one of the following commands depending on your environment:

# 方式一：使用 GitHub 源码安装（推荐）
dsh plugin --profile web add github:Yvesgao/dsh-shortcut-creator#main

# 方式二：使用 npm 包安装
dsh plugin --profile web add dsh-shortcut-creator

After installation completes, run dsh web to restart the Web service, then open the Settings page in the browser to find the “Desktop Shortcut” block.

Typical Usage

  1. Open the DSH Settings page and navigate to the “Desktop Shortcut” block.
  2. Fill in the form:
    • Name: A custom display name for the shortcut (for example, “DeepSeek Harness”).
    • Command: The command to start the service (for example, node app.js).
    • URL: The address to access in the browser (for example, http://localhost:3000).
    • Working directory: The runtime directory for the service.
  3. Click the “Create desktop shortcut” button.
  4. The corresponding .lnk file is generated on the desktop; double-click it to start the service and open the browser automatically.

Notes

  • Windows only: This plugin relies on the native Windows PowerShell engine, so it can be used properly only on the Windows platform.
  • Platform compatibility: Although the Settings Page UI appears on all platforms, execution on non-Windows platforms will result in an error. It is recommended to use it in a Windows environment.
  • Permissions and security: The plugin runs with the permissions of the current DSH process. It is recommended to review the source code and license (MIT) before installation.

References