🐳 dsh-desktop-client

Self-contained Windows desktop client for DeepSeek Harness + companion plugin No Node.js / npm / server setup required. Double-click and go.

_{English · 中文}

What is this?

Puts the DeepSeek Harness local Web UI into a native Windows window, bundled with the whole runtime (Node + DSH server + UI) in one package:

• For end users: download → double-click → add your API key → start chatting. No terminal required.
• For the agent: the companion @lqing2018/dsh-desktop-client plugin lets the harness agent locate and launch the desktop client for you.

Features

Feature	Description
⚡ Zero setup	Node runtime, server and UI ship together — no Node.js / npm / services to install
📦 Two flavors	Single-file installer (recommended) or portable ZIP (USB-friendly)
🔧 Self-managed server	Client starts a hidden background server automatically; port conflicts handled
🐳 Native window	WebView2 engine + whale icon, no browser chrome
🤖 Companion plugin	Agent can check / launch the client via the desktop_client tool

Quick start (2 minutes)

Option A: Single-file installer (recommended)

1. Open Releases and download DeepSeek-Harness-Setup.exe
2. Double-click it — it extracts to %LOCALAPPDATA%\DeepSeek-Harness-Portable and launches the client
3. First launch initializes the local server (30–60 s, that's normal) — please wait
4. Click Settings (gear) → Models in the top-right and add your model API key (e.g. DeepSeek API)
5. 🎉 Start chatting. Every later launch is instant.

Option B: Portable ZIP (USB / no install)

1. Download DeepSeek-Harness-Portable.zip
2. Unzip anywhere (USB drive works)
3. Run DeepSeek Harness.exe inside the folder — same steps as above

Requirements: Windows 10 / 11 (x64) with the WebView2 Runtime (bundled with Edge / Win11; install here if missing)

First-run walkthrough

1. Download — see Quick start above
2. Launch — a whale-icon window appears; the first start initializes the local server (the window shows up by itself after a short wait)
3. Add your API key — Settings (gear icon) → Models, add a model and paste your key (DeepSeek, OpenAI-compatible, etc.)
4. Chat — type in the input box. Long-running tasks keep running in the background; multiple sessions are supported

Detailed step-by-step guide: User Guide

Daily usage

Action	How
Open the client	Desktop shortcut, or DeepSeek Harness.exe in the install folder
Close the window	Click ✕ — the server keeps running (background tasks aren't interrupted)
Stop the server	Double-click stop-server.cmd in the install folder (only kills the server the client spawned)
Change port	Create client.json in the install folder: {"port": 1234}
Where is my data	Sessions live in dsh-home\sessions; API keys in dsh-home (don't share the folder)
Move / backup	Copy the whole folder; after moving, delete dsh-home once and it rebuilds automatically

Companion plugin

Let the DeepSeek Harness agent operate the desktop client:

dsh plugin --profile web add @lqing2018/dsh-desktop-client

Then just ask:

• "Is the desktop client installed?" → agent runs desktop_client to check install status & server port
• "Open the desktop client" → agent launches the client window

FAQ

Problem	Solution
Nothing happens / white screen	Make sure WebView2 Runtime is installed; retry after disabling antivirus interception
First launch is slow	Normal — first boot initializes the local server (30–60 s); later launches are instant
Port already in use	Change it via client.json (see Daily usage)
Fails after moving the folder	Delete the dsh-home folder once; it rebuilds on next launch
Forgot API key / switch account	Re-enter it in Settings → Models
How to fully uninstall	See below

Uninstall

• Installer edition: delete the whole %LOCALAPPDATA%\DeepSeek-Harness-Portable folder
• Portable edition: delete the whole unzipped folder
• Plugin: dsh plugin --profile web remove @lqing2018/dsh-desktop-client

Docs

Doc	Content
User Guide	Install, configure, daily use, troubleshooting
用户指南	中文详细图文指南
PUBLISH.md	Maintainers: release flow (npm / GitHub / plugin marketplace)

Development

# Build the portable client folder from a local DeepSeek Harness install
.\scripts\build-portable.ps1 -Source D:\path\to\deepseek-harness -OutDir .\dist

• plugin/dsh-desktop-client/ — npm plugin source (pure ESM, zero build)
• scripts/build-portable.ps1 — portable-folder build script
• The WebView2 client (C#) sources are tracked in the dist/ artifacts and the client plan doc

Relationship to the official project

Built on deepseek-ai/deepseek-harness, which provides the core agent capabilities, plugin system and Web UI. This project adds the Windows desktop shell (window, local server hosting, no-install packaging) and the companion client-management plugin.

License

MIT