Batch install DSH plugins from the plugin market in one go

The right way to batch-install DSH plugins is market for selection plus a script for execution: pick the set in the plugin market, write the package names into a list file, then loop dsh plugin --profile web add over that list and verify with list. The official documentation documents add with a single target, so batching is a loop rather than one multi-target command.

Batch DSH plugin install is two halves: the plugin market and the script

Batch installing is not one command but two jobs — deciding which plugins, and getting them on disk — and the plugin market handles the first while a script handles the second. The split:

Install DSH Plugin Hub first (dsh plugin --profile web add dsh-plugin) so the plugin market appears in Settings.

Step 1: build the list from the plugin market

A batch needs a list, and the plugin market is the most reliable place to derive one. Three steps:

1. Search by category — open Settings → Plugin Market and filter down to the plugins you actually want. Expected: note each candidate's package name or source.
2. Check the name and the source — confirm author and source repository on the detail view. Expected: npm packages are recorded as a bare name, GitHub sources as github:owner/repo, and the two are never mixed.
3. Write the list file — create a plain text file with one target per line:

cat > plugins.txt <<'EOF'
dsh-plugin-rag
github:owner/repo
dsh-memento
EOF

Expected: nothing but targets and blank lines, so the loop can read it directly.

Step 2: install the DSH plugin list with a script

The official add form is a single target — dsh plugin --profile web add <package-or-repo> — so batching means putting it in a loop. On macOS and Linux, a shell loop:

# Read the list line by line, skip blanks, install each target
while read -r p; do
  [ -z "$p" ] && continue
  dsh plugin --profile web add "$p" || { echo "failed: $p"; break; }
done < plugins.txt

On Windows, PowerShell:

Get-Content plugins.txt | ForEach-Object {
  if ($_ -ne "") { dsh plugin --profile web add $_ }
}

Three rules:

1. Pass --profile web on every iteration — omitting it installs into an unintended profile and the final comparison will not line up.
2. Stop on failure and print the name — a short stop such as || break keeps errors attributable instead of running the whole batch on top of a mistake.
3. Trial the first couple of lines — confirm the syntax, especially whether a github: source can be fetched. Expected: both trial installs succeed before you run the full list.

Step 3: verify the whole DSH plugin batch

Verification means comparing the list output with the input file rather than trusting the last command's exit code. Four steps:

1. List what is installed — run dsh plugin --profile web list. Expected: most entries from the list appear in the output.
2. Find the stragglers — diff the list against the output and note missing names. Expected: the missing ones are a typo or a failed install, fixed by re-running a single line.
3. Check the plugin market — Settings → Plugin Market → Installed. Expected: it agrees with the command output, proving both views read the same data.
4. Confirm on disk — inspect $DSH_HOME/profiles/web/node_modules. Expected: top-level directory names match the installed plugins; see where DSH plugins are installed.

The plugin market handles selection and review while the script handles execution; both act on the same installed list. For installing one at a time, see using the plugin market.

Notes and limits for batch DSH plugin installs

1. Do not expect one command with many targets: the documented add form is single-target, so keep to a list plus a loop, which works in any environment.
2. Keep the list file in version control: storing plugins.txt in a repository lets one loop reproduce the same plugin set on a new machine.
3. Do not mix source forms: npm packages take a bare name, GitHub sources require the github: prefix.
4. Make failures attributable: a loop without output or exit-code checks forces a full re-run and hides the real problem.
5. Air-gapped hosts need a different route: with no registry reachable, batch installs must pre-stage tarballs, as covered in offline DSH plugin installs.

Sources: dsh CLI README, Packaging and installing plugins (official docs), dshplugin/dsh-plugin-hub