Check your DSH version and the DeepSeek Harness changelog

Checking your version is the confirmation step before an upgrade, not the upgrade itself. Two steps: dsh --version for the local build, the official Releases page and npm package page for the latest, then read the notes with breaking changes first. This article only covers checking and reading; the commands themselves are in the update commands cheat sheet.

How to check a DeepSeek Harness version: local first, latest second

Checking a DeepSeek Harness version takes two steps: establish which build you are running, then confirm what the project has published (source). Go in order:

1. Check the local version. Run dsh --version (equivalently dsh -V) in a terminal. Expected: one line of version output in the form major.minor.patch, possibly with a pre-release suffix.
2. Check it without a global binary. If the shell reports dsh: command not found, you are on the no-install path. Expected: npx @deepseek-ai/dsh --version prints the same information; this does not mean your install is broken.
3. Check the latest release. Open the official repository's Releases page for the newest entry, or the package page for the published version and its release tag. Expected: either a version newer than yours or confirmation you are current.
4. Compare, then decide. Put the two numbers side by side. Expected: identical numbers mean no action; a gap means reading the notes for that release before upgrading.

⚠️ Any version number written into an article goes stale, including the example versions in older tutorials. Always take the number from your own command output and the official pages.

How to read DeepSeek Harness version numbers: pre-release suffixes

DSH version numbers are semantic versions, and the suffix decides how stable the build is (source). Field by field:

1. The three numbers are the main line. major.minor.patch maps to large changes, added features, and small fixes respectively. Expected: a patch bump usually means fixes, while a minor bump is where new capability appears.
2. A suffix marks a pre-release. Builds with an rc (release candidate) or alpha suffix are published ahead of the stable release. Expected: they already work, but interfaces can still change, and the official docs state plainly that breaking changes lie ahead during the developer preview.
3. Why "it updated but nothing changed". Pre-release builds often only change internals or fix defects. Expected: a version number alone cannot tell you whether an upgrade is worth it, so you have to find the feature entries in the notes.
4. Two sensible strategies. Follow the stable tag if you value predictability, follow pre-releases only if you want early access. Expected: the costs differ, since a cautious user who upgrades by accident may hit interface changes, while an early adopter who skips backups reworks more.

Choosing a version and pinning to one is covered in how to pick a DeepSeek Harness version.

How to read the DeepSeek Harness changelog: entry structure

Do not read a DeepSeek Harness changelog word by word; scan it as theme, then features, then breaking changes (source). Four steps cover one release:

1. Start with the title and opening line. The title is usually the positioning of that release. Expected: within half a minute you know whether it concerns you at all.
2. Scan the new features. Look for entries relevant to you, such as model capability, interface changes, or plugin mechanics. Expected: you confirm the upgrade buys you something instead of taking compatibility risk for a bug-fix build.
3. Hunt for breaking changes. This section has the highest priority and is usually labelled or set apart. Expected: when it hits, the upgrade needs scheduled time, a backup, and adjustments to configuration or DSH plugins.
4. Check your plugins last. See whether the affected DSH plugin has a compatible release. Expected: when a plugin lags behind, staying on the older harness beats upgrading into a crash.

To see what a specific release changed, a version write-up such as what DeepSeek Harness updated helps, but the Releases page remains the source of record across versions.

What to do about breaking changes: pre-upgrade checks for DSH plugins

When breaking changes appear, the order is backup, check compatibility, upgrade, verify, not upgrade first and look later (source). Step by step:

1. Back up your data directory. Copy $DSH_HOME wholesale. Expected: configuration, sessions, and credentials all live there, so you can return to the pre-upgrade state.
2. Confirm plugin compatibility. Check whether the DSH plugin you rely on declares support for the new version. Expected: if it does not, hold off or pin to the older harness.
3. Upgrade along your install path. Pick the harness command that matches how you installed it. Expected: all three paths and their verification steps are in the update commands cheat sheet.
4. Verify item by item. Run through version, startup, plugin loading, and sessions and config. Expected: only a full pass counts as success; to confirm an upgrade leaves your data alone, see does updating lose configuration.

Caveats and limits of checking DeepSeek Harness versions and reading changelogs

1. Never trust version numbers in articles. Any hard-coded number goes stale; command output and official pages are the authority.
2. Pre-release is not stable. Builds with an rc or alpha suffix can still change their interfaces, so keep them out of anything you depend on.
3. The version number alone is not enough. A newer version may only fix defects or change internals rather than add what you wanted.
4. Read releases consecutively. Skipping several versions before upgrading accumulates breaking changes, and jumping over them hides the adjustments you needed.
5. The project warned you. The developer preview states that breaking changes are coming, so reading the notes before upgrading is routine, not optional.

Once you have read the notes and decided to upgrade, DSH plugins update from the installed list in DSH Plugin Hub, where versions and update entries live on one page.

Sources: DeepSeek Harness README (official repository), deepseek-ai/deepseek-harness Releases, dsh CLI README (official repository)