Frequently asked questions
Answers about setup, unsigned-build warnings, privacy and updates for DeepSeek Harness Desktop v0.2.1.
What is DeepSeek Harness Desktop?
It is a community desktop packaging of the official DeepSeek Harness. A Tauri 2 shell, a Rust supervisor sidecar, and a bundled Node.js runtime run the unmodified Harness web UI as a native Windows or macOS application.
Do I need to install Node.js or run commands in a terminal?
No. A pinned Node.js runtime is bundled inside the app, and the supervisor starts the Harness automatically. Your system Node installation, if any, is never used.
Is this an official DeepSeek product?
No. It is maintained by the web-casa community. The DeepSeek Harness package itself is official and unmodified; this project only pins it and packages it.
Why does Windows SmartScreen or macOS Gatekeeper warn me?
The current v0.2.1 preview builds are not yet code-signed or notarized. Verify the published SHA-256 checksum, then on Windows choose More info → Run anyway; on macOS right-click the app and choose Open.
Does the app send telemetry or analytics?
Session telemetry is disabled by default through DSH_TELEMETRY_DISABLED=1. Child-process environment variables such as NODE_OPTIONS and npm_config_* are sanitized before the Harness starts. See the security page for the full posture.
Does the app update itself automatically?
Not yet. Automatic updates are planned together with code signing and notarization. For now, download new releases from GitHub Releases and verify the checksum.
Which platforms are supported?
Windows 10/11 x64 (NSIS installer) and macOS on Apple Silicon (DMG). Linux is a development target only, not a distribution target.
How is this different from running the DeepSeek Harness CLI myself?
The desktop packaging adds supervised process lifecycle, crash detection and auto-restart, an isolated DSH_HOME data directory, privacy defaults, and a zero-IPC webview boundary. The Harness itself behaves the same.
Is DeepSeek Harness Desktop free?
Yes. The packaging is MIT licensed and free to download and use. The bundled DeepSeek Harness and its npm dependencies retain their own open-source licenses, which are shipped inside the package.
How do I report a security issue?
Use the GitHub Security Advisory flow on the repository (Security tab → Report a vulnerability) for private disclosure, or contact the maintainers by email.
Where is my data stored? Can I back up or migrate it?
Data lives in the platform application-data directory under a harness/ subfolder, isolated from the CLI's ~/.dsh. The in-app diagnostics button shows the exact path. To back up or migrate, close the app completely and copy that directory; do not replace it with a symlink.
Why is plugin installation not available yet?
The desktop packaging bundles a pinned pnpm-based runtime, and plugin installation through that bundled toolchain is not wired yet. It is a known limitation and is planned together with the updater work.
What happens if the Harness port is occupied?
Nothing you need to handle. The app starts the Harness with --port 0 on 127.0.0.1, so the operating system assigns a free random port at launch.
How do I completely uninstall?
Windows: uninstall normally, then delete the app-data harness/ folder. macOS: drag the app to the Trash, then delete ~/Library/Application Support/com.yeagoo.dsh-desktop/harness. The diagnostics panel shows the exact data path on your machine.
Does it run on Intel Macs or Windows ARM?
The current release ships Windows x64 and macOS Apple Silicon packages only. Intel Mac and Windows ARM builds are not distributed yet; check the release page for new targets.
The app crashed or keeps restarting. What should I check?
Use the in-app diagnostics button to copy a JSON snapshot, then include it in a GitHub issue. By design, the supervisor restarts the Harness after roughly 40 seconds of no heartbeat, so repeated restarts usually mean the Harness event loop is blocked.