dsh-better-sidebar: a sidebar workspace DSH plugin

dsh-better-sidebar is an interface-class DSH plugin that adds a sidebar workspace to DeepSeek Harness, gathering file editing, terminal, Git changes, sub-agent tasks and a side chat into the right-hand sidebar and a bottom panel (source). This article explains what it changes in the interface, how to install and use it, and what it costs in information density and version compatibility.

DSH plugin overview: it solves the placement problem of "chat while you watch files"

In the default interface, files and chat live in two places; dsh-better-sidebar gathers the common panels into one sidebar column and binds them to the current session. It brings three changes:

1. A switchable right-hand sidebar — the file tree, editing, terminal, Git changes and sub-agent tasks all live here. Expected: no more switching windows back and forth.
2. Synced with the session — each session has its own column of sidebar content, and the panels switch with it. Expected: the working context of different tasks stays separate.
3. Open to other plugins — it exposes ctx.betterSidebar, so other DSH plugins can register new pages in the sidebar. Expected: the sidebar becomes an extensible container.

In one sentence: it gathers the "workspace" from many windows into one column, at the cost of a fuller interface.

What the DSH plugin changes: the sidebar workspace

The core of the change is gathering scattered features into the right-hand sidebar and a bottom panel, isolated by session. Block by block:

1. File editing area — view and edit workspace files right in the sidebar. Expected: edit files without leaving the chat.
2. Terminal panel — a terminal in the sidebar or at the bottom. Expected: run commands and chat on the same screen.
3. Git changes view — shows modifications and diffs in one place. Expected: always know which files this round touched.
4. Sub-agent tasks and a side chat — also brings in sub-agent progress and a secondary chat stream. Expected: no lost context while working on several threads.

It is also the foundation for many plugins: because it opens a registration entry, other plugins can hang their pages in this sidebar and coexist with it (source).

Install and enable the DSH plugin: one click in the market or the command line

Two ways to install, ready after a restart; prefer the market if you like a visual flow. Steps:

1. Choose one install method — click install under the interface category in DSH Plugin Hub, or run in a terminal:

   bash

   dsh plugin --profile web add dsh-better-sidebar
   

   Expected: the plugin enters the web profile and the install finishes with no errors.

2. Restart the service — close and start dsh web to load the plugin. Expected: no plugin resolution errors in the startup log.

3. Confirm the interface took effect — open a session interface. Expected: the sidebar workspace appears on the right.

4. Use each panel as needed — expand files, terminal, changes and tasks as needed. Expected: panels update as you switch sessions.

It is basically enabled and usable with no extra configuration; if you have other plugins installed, they may automatically register their pages in the sidebar.

DSH plugin trade-offs against the default interface

Choosing it means trading information density for minimalism, plus extra attention to the core package version. Three trade-offs:

1. Information density vs minimalism — the sidebar lays out files, terminal, changes and tasks; it has everything but looks fuller. If you mostly chat and rarely touch files or the terminal, the default layout is cleaner.
2. Extensibility vs complexity — it opens a registration entry so other plugins can hang pages in; the more plugins you install, the more cluttered the sidebar gets.
3. Version dependency and drift — this kind of interface plugin depends on the DeepSeek Harness core package; pinning it or the core to an old version can trigger core package version drift after an upgrade, showing up as tool-call crashes or plugin-tree loading errors (source). Do not work around it by pinning an old version; handle it with How to fix core package version drift.

DSH plugin notes

These are the DSH plugin points to remember before installing and using this one. Item by item:

1. Restart after installing: the plugin loads at startup; without a restart you will not see the sidebar.
2. Manage by session: the sidebar content follows the session; do not expect the same view to persist across sessions.
3. Do not pin an old core package: handle version conflicts with the drift process, not by long-term pinning.
4. Do not pile up plugins: it is extensible, but every page you hang in takes space — install as needed.
5. Confirm compatibility first: before installing, check the plugin's stated compatible DeepSeek Harness version and maintenance state.

Sources: dsh-better-sidebar (dsh-plugin.org), omdsh-dev/DSH-better-sidebar, dsh-better-sidebar (npm), dsh CLI README