Runtime and data - DeepSeek Harness Desktop

The desktop shell separates managed application dependencies from Harness user data. This allows core updates and development builds without mixing profile state.

Runtime selection

Item	Current value
Desktop version	`0.20.0-beta.1` (prerelease)
Harness core	Recommended `0.2.0-rc.2`; the current manifest and local CLI validation minimum is `0.1.5-rc.1`
Managed environment	Node.js `v22.22.0`, pnpm `11.7.0`

The minimum core version does not guarantee compatibility with every plugin.
Compatible local tools are reused; missing tools or incompatible native-module ABIs can trigger managed fallback.
The managed core comes from deepseek-harness-pkg, using official GitHub assets first and a mirror on failure.
The runtime manifest defines the versions.

Release and debug isolation

<AppData> denotes the current user’s application data directory. These are the default paths; each profile lives under profiles/<id>/ in its data root.

Concern	Release	Debug
Default port	`3080`	`3081`
Harness data root	Non-empty `DSH_HOME`, otherwise `~/.dsh`	Forced to `~/.dsh.dev`; inherited `DSH_HOME` is ignored
Managed Node	`<AppData>/runtime/`	`<AppData>/dev/runtime/`
Default managed core	`<AppData>/dependencies/dsh/`	`<AppData>/dev/dependencies/dsh/`
Managed dependencies	`<AppData>/dependencies/`	`<AppData>/dev/dependencies/`
Settings store	`.store.dat`	`.store.dev.dat`
Service log	`<AppData>/logs/dsh-web.log`	`<AppData>/dev/logs/dsh-web.dev.log`
CLI PATH changes	Enabled by default; can be disabled in settings	Does not modify user PATH or overwrite the release `dsh` shim

Port behavior

The service binds to 127.0.0.1. If the preferred port is already occupied, startup can select a higher free port and pass the resolved URL back to the desktop client. A future launch can return to the preferred port after it becomes available.

CLI integration

Release builds enable the dsh / pnpm shims by default; disable them in settings if needed. Windows registers a user-level PATH entry. Unix maintains its own marked blocks in ~/.zshrc and ~/.bashrc, preserving other configuration. Open a new terminal afterward.

Harness and plugins can execute local code with your permissions. Profile and debug directory separation is not an operating-system sandbox.