The short answer
DeepSeek Harness, or DSH, is DeepSeek’s open-source runtime for building and operating coding agents. It coordinates models, tools, sessions, workflows, sandboxes, the agent loop, and user interfaces. The Harness is the ecosystem core—not a Plugin.
The official package can start a local Web Profile. From there, you select a workspace, configure a model provider, run tasks, and inspect the Plugin surfaces attached to that Profile.
The terms that determine your next action
- Harness: the official runtime and ecosystem core.
- Agent: the behavior that receives a task, chooses tools, and produces a result inside the runtime.
- Model provider: the API-compatible service and model used by an Agent.
- Profile: a named runtime configuration targeted by install, update, and remove actions.
- Plugin Bundle: a distributable package whose manifest points to a DSH Bundle patch.
- Skill: reusable instructions or knowledge that may ship inside a Bundle or independently.
- Preset: a reusable starting configuration; it is not automatically a Plugin Bundle.
What a working baseline looks like
A useful baseline is deliberately small: the official CLI reports the expected version, the Web Profile loads, one safe workspace opens, one model is selectable, and a minimal task completes without a community Bundle.
Record the Harness version, Node.js version, target Profile, and model provider before extending the system. Those facts are more useful during recovery than a generic claim that the setup once worked.
Why the Developer Preview label matters
Release candidates can change commands, configuration, and compatibility. DSHub therefore shows two separate facts: the rolling command recommended by the official README, and the pinned release candidate tested for this guide.
Treat screenshots as navigation evidence for the stated baseline, not a promise that every later release will look identical.