DeepSeek Harness (dsh) follows the “everything is a plugin” philosophy. The default Web GUI interaction experience can feel cluttered when handling long-form thinking, tool-call processes, and streaming output. dsh-chat-ux aims to resolve these issues by introducing a set of UI optimizations that make the chat area smoother to browse and interact with.
Core Features¶
This plugin includes the following key optimizations:
- Automatic expansion and collapse for thinking lines and process groups: Thinking processes expand and automatically collapse after they finish; tool-call processes work the same way. If the user manually expands or collapses them, the plugin no longer intervenes automatically. Both share one toggle; when turned off, manual action is required.
- Direct display of file change lines:
writeandeditoperations inrun_codeshow diff lines directly in the chat area. For direct invocations, the path, input size, and+n -mparameters are displayed during streaming, and the numbers increase in real time as the content grows. - Enhanced animations: The input field cursor slides, triggered by typing, arrow keys, or clicking. On submission, the input field transforms into a bubble and flies into the message list.
- Work steps default to Standard: The web interface defaults dsh’s “Work Steps Display” to “Standard” (the original default was “Detailed”), unless the user has already changed it in settings.
- Statistics visualization: The cache hit-rate capsule below the input field displays one decimal place, and its color changes with the value (red below 90%, dark green above 99%). Context usage changes from a ring to a 16px solid pie chart, with color also changing according to the usage level.
- Frosted glass input field: A blue gradient and blur effect are applied to the input field, send button, and plus button.
- Input area collapse in Trajectory view: When switching to the “Trajectory” tab, the input area collapses and the records table fills the full screen; when switching back to “Chat,” it restores.
Installation and Enabling¶
In the dsh Web GUI, open the Plugins page, click Add Plugin, and enter the package name:
@alm-allen/dsh-chat-ux
Or install it from the command line:
dsh plugin --profile web add @alm-allen/dsh-chat-ux
You can also install it directly from the GitHub repository (the repository already includes build artifacts, so no local build is required):
dsh plugin --profile web add github:Alm-Allen/dsh-chat-ux
After installation, restart dsh or refresh the page to enable it.
Configuration¶
After installing the plugin, you can adjust the following toggles in the configuration row on the Plugins page:
| Configuration Item | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic expansion and collapse | On | When off, thinking lines and process groups no longer expand and collapse automatically. |
| Cursor animation | Always | You can choose Off, trigger on movement, or always trigger. |
| Chat bubble animation | On | When off, there is no flight animation when submitting a message. |
| Hit-rate wheel | On | When off, value changes are replaced directly, without a bounce animation. |
| Context usage pie | On | When off, dsh’s original ring-style statistics are restored. |
| Frosted glass input field | On | When off, the input area and buttons restore their original appearance. |
| Real-time changed line count | On | Controls the real-time ticking effect of trailing numbers on file change lines. |
The default setting for “Work Steps Display” is located on the plugin page; if the user has already modified it in dsh’s Settings → General, the user setting takes precedence.
Compatibility and Notes¶
- DeepSeek Harness version: Developed and validated on
0.2.1-alpha.2(Web) and0.2.1-alpha.1(Desktop).0.2.0-rc.2and earlier versions are usable, but some features in earlier versions (such as hit rate and context pie chart) may have compatibility issues.0.1.xmay not be supported. - Node.js version: Requires
^22.19.0 || >=24.0.0. - Build method: The repository includes a prebuilt
distdirectory, so there is no need to runnpm run build.
Conclusion¶
dsh-chat-ux improves the reading and interaction experience of the Web GUI through refined interaction adjustments. For more details or feedback, visit the plugin catalog or the GitHub repository.
