Introduction

DeepSeek Harness (DSH) uses a plugin-based architecture and supports running in local environments. When a dsh web instance runs in WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux), accessing its UI from the Windows desktop involves cumbersome terminal operations: opening a terminal, switching to WSL, running dsh web, waiting for startup, switching to a browser, and entering the URL. This workflow is inefficient for frequent debugging.

The dsh-wsl-launcher plugin creates a shortcut on the Windows desktop and encapsulates the above operations into a single double-click action, enabling direct access from the Windows desktop to the DeepSeek Harness Web UI running in WSL.

Plugin Introduction

dsh-wsl-launcher is a Windows desktop launcher for starting the DeepSeek Harness Web UI that runs in WSL. It is maintained by the developer rqzhao1 and follows the MIT license.

This plugin primarily addresses the pain point of “starting and accessing a DSH Web service inside WSL from a Windows environment,” simplifying the interaction flow through a desktop shortcut and command-line tools.

Core Features

The plugin provides the following core capabilities:

  1. Double-click launch: Creates a shortcut on the Windows desktop (with a black whale icon). Double-clicking it triggers WSL startup and opens the Web UI without opening a terminal.
  2. Automatic background execution: The plugin starts the dsh web service in the background. The console window can be closed without affecting the service.
  3. Idempotent design: If the Web UI port is already listening, the plugin only opens the browser. Repeated double-clicks do not cause conflicts or errors.
  4. Model tool integration: Registers the wsl_launcher model tool, supporting installation, status checking, startup, and uninstallation management through commands within DSH sessions.

Installation and Activation

Before installation, ensure that DSH is installed and a profile is configured (for example, the web profile).

Run the following command in the terminal to install the plugin:

dsh plugin --profile web add dsh-wsl-launcher

After installation, restart dsh web. The plugin automatically creates the startup script and icon in WSL and generates a shortcut on the Windows desktop.

Usage

After installing and restarting, you can use it in the following ways:

  1. Desktop shortcut: On the Windows desktop, find the shortcut named “DeepSeek Harness Web” and double-click it to start the service and open the browser.
  2. Command-line tool: In a DSH session, you can invoke the wsl_launcher tool:
    • Check status: wsl_launcher status (used to detect whether WSL is available and the port listening status).
    • Open service: wsl_launcher open (opens the Web UI directly in the browser).
    • Install/uninstall: wsl_launcher install / wsl_launcher uninstall (used to manage the plugin’s own files and shortcut).

Use Cases and Notes

Use case: Users who need to use DeepSeek Harness in a WSL environment for development or debugging but prefer to operate from the Windows desktop.

Notes:
1. Environment dependencies: Validated on dsh 0.1.1-rc.2; the host requires Node.js (>=20).
2. WSL requirements: WSL1 or WSL2 must be enabled, and Windows interop must be turned on (enabled by default).
3. Permissions and security: The plugin writes files on both the WSL and Windows sides, but it does not read, store, or transmit credentials; it only performs local port probing and browser invocation.

Conclusion

dsh-wsl-launcher encapsulates WSL startup logic and lowers the barrier to using DeepSeek Harness in a Windows environment. If you need to manage DSH instances in WSL, this plugin provides a lightweight desktop entry point.

For plugin details, see: GitHub