dsh-llm-mlx
DeepSeek Harness plugin for local MLX-LM models with loopback-only defaults and optional managed server startup
- Stars
- 0
- Language
- TypeScript
- Created
- Aug 25, 2026
- Updated
- Aug 25, 2026
Introduction
dsh-llm-mlx
Use a local MLX-LM or
MLX-VLM model as a DeepSeek Harness
provider. The plugin contributes a local-mlx model route through DSH's
built-in OpenAI-compatible adapter and can optionally start and own
mlx_lm.server or mlx_vlm.server for the lifetime of the DSH process.
No model weights are included. Managed startup is limited to Apple-silicon
macOS and binds the server to 127.0.0.1.
Requirements
- Apple-silicon macOS for managed MLX startup.
- DeepSeek Harness
0.1.0-rc.6or0.1.1-rc.1+. - A local Python environment with
mlx-lmormlx-vlm, matching the selected model, and a downloaded MLX model.
The provider can also reuse an independently managed OpenAI-compatible server
at http://127.0.0.1:18080/v1; in that mode DSH does not own its process.
Install
For the Web profile:
dsh plugin --profile web add github:robbywang25/dsh-llm-mlx
For DSH Desktop's profile:
dsh plugin --profile desktop add github:robbywang25/dsh-llm-mlx
The package ships committed lib/ output and has no install lifecycle script.
It can also be installed from dsh-market after the catalog entry is published.
Option A: reuse an existing MLX server
Start the server from the Python environment that contains mlx-lm:
python -m mlx_lm server \
--model /absolute/path/to/your-mlx-model \
--host 127.0.0.1 \
--port 18080 \
--max-tokens 512 \
--chat-template-args '{"enable_thinking":false}'
For a vision-language model, use an environment containing mlx-vlm:
python -m mlx_vlm.server \
--model /absolute/path/to/your-mlx-vlm-model \
--host 127.0.0.1 \
--port 18080 \
--max-tokens 512
Then open DSH Settings → Models → Local MLX and enter any non-empty local
placeholder such as local-only. The local MLX servers do not require this
value; the generic OpenAI client requires a non-empty API-key field. The value
is sent only to the loopback endpoint.
Create a new session and choose MLX Local Model.
Option B: let DSH own the MLX server
Set these variables before starting DSH:
export DSH_MLX_MODEL_PATH=/absolute/path/to/your-mlx-model
export DSH_MLX_PYTHON=/absolute/path/to/python
dsh web
DSH_MLX_MODEL_PATH enables managed mlx-lm startup by default. The plugin
checks for local model configuration, tokenizer configuration, and safetensors
weights before it spawns Python. It reuses an already healthy server on port
18080, refuses an occupied unhealthy port, and terminates only a server
process that it started.
For a persistent machine-local profile setting, add this to that profile's
cordis.patch.yml instead of exporting variables:
- id: llm-mlx-runtime
config:
autoStart: true
serverEngine: mlx-lm
modelPath: /absolute/path/to/your-mlx-model
pythonExecutable: /absolute/path/to/python
Set serverEngine: mlx-vlm for a vision-language model. MLX-VLM managed
startup uses its own module and supported server flags; MLX-LM-only sampling
flags are not passed to it.
Do not commit a user-specific model path to a public repository.
Defaults
| Setting | Default |
|---|---|
| Managed server engine | mlx-lm |
| Provider | local-mlx |
| Model id | default_model |
| API base URL | http://127.0.0.1:18080/v1 |
| Context window advertised to DSH | 16,384 tokens |
| Maximum output | 512 tokens |
| Temperature / top-p / top-k | 0.6 / 0.8 / 20 |
| Thinking template flag | disabled |
| Managed startup | off unless DSH_MLX_MODEL_PATH is set |
The provider profile remains editable through DSH's Models page. If a server uses another port, update both its runtime configuration and the provider base URL.
Security boundary
- The managed server host is fixed to
127.0.0.1; the plugin has no LAN or public bind option. - Model paths must be absolute and point to existing local MLX files. The plugin does not download models.
- Python is launched with an argument array, never through a shell.
- The plugin does not upload weights, prompts, responses, credentials, or telemetry.
- The placeholder
DSH_MLX_API_KEYis not an external credential. - Unloading the plugin stops only the child process that the plugin owns. An independently managed server is never stopped.
The MLX HTTP servers are local development servers. Keep them on loopback and do not expose them directly to an untrusted network.
Verify
curl --fail http://127.0.0.1:18080/health
curl --fail http://127.0.0.1:18080/v1/models
The final acceptance test is a new DSH session that has MLX Local Model
selected and receives a real reply. A visible model card or a 200 health
response alone does not prove the full DSH path.
Repository checks:
npm ci --ignore-scripts
npm run check
Uninstall
dsh plugin --profile web remove dsh-llm-mlx
# or
dsh plugin --profile desktop remove dsh-llm-mlx
Managed servers stop when the plugin unloads. Stop an independently managed server separately. The optional local placeholder credential can be removed from DSH's Models settings after uninstalling.
License
MIT. MLX-LM, MLX-VLM, and each model keep their own licenses; this repository does not redistribute them.