Where to install DSH plugins: npm, GitHub, or local tarball?

DeepSeek Harness plugins come from three sources: prebuilt npm packages, GitHub source that needs a prepare script plus an allowBuilds grant, and local tarballs for internal distribution. The three commands are dsh plugin --profile web add <name>, dsh plugin --profile web add github:owner/repo, and dsh plugin --profile web add ./package.tgz - this guide covers each command, the authorization differences, and when to pick which, then points you to DSH Plugin Hub for one-click installs (source).

Overview: three sources, three commands

Installing a DSH plugin means adding its bundle to the current profile; the source only changes the address form in the command. Keep these conclusions in mind:

1. npm: add the package name - prebuilt, no authorization, the smoothest path;
2. GitHub source: github:owner/repo - pulls source, requires build authorization, the most error-prone;
3. Local tarball: a .tgz file path - prebuilt, no authorization, built for internal distribution.

All three install the same thing - a plugin dependency plus config layer in the profile. The difference is where the package comes from and whether a build step runs (source).

Source 1: npm packages - prebuilt and ready to run

npm packages are prebuilt at pnpm publish time, so what you install is directly runnable code with no build authorization (source). The commands:

# Install an npm package (add the package name)
dsh plugin --profile web add <package-name>

# Confirm it is installed (list plugins in the current profile)
dsh plugin --profile web list

# Remove it when you no longer need it
dsh plugin --profile web remove <package-name>

Three traits:

1. Ready to run: build artifacts are already inside the package, so no "missing lib/" load failures;
2. No authorization: no build scripts run, pnpm does not block you;
3. Versions managed by npm: upgrades and dependency resolution go through the registry - the most complete ecosystem.

Source 2: GitHub source - prepare script and allowBuilds

A GitHub install pulls source, not build artifacts. The author must ship a prepare script, and you must grant allowBuilds in the profile's pnpm-workspace.yaml before the first add succeeds (source). The commands:

# Install from GitHub source
dsh plugin --profile web add github:owner/repo

# Lock a commit so later pushes cannot silently change what actually runs
dsh plugin --profile web add github:owner/repo#<sha>

Your first add will likely fail - pnpm >=10 refuses to run build scripts for git dependencies until explicitly allowed. dsh tells you the fix: copy the exact package key printed by pnpm into the profile's pnpm-workspace.yaml:

allowBuilds:
  <package-name>: true

Save the file and re-run the add command above.

Take this grant seriously: it lets that package's code execute on your machine during install, outside any sandbox the agent runs in (source). So:

1. Only grant allowBuilds to packages whose source you trust;
2. Prefer locking the commit (#<sha>) so later pushes cannot silently change what runs;
3. If install reports missing build artifacts (e.g. entry file missing), the author likely forgot a prepare script - switch to the npm version instead.

Source 3: local tarballs - built for internal distribution

A tarball is a prebuilt archive created with pnpm pack; point dsh at the file and install, with no build authorization required (source). The command:

# Install a local tarball (.tgz file)
dsh plugin --profile web add ./hello-plugin-0.1.0.tgz

When to use it:

1. Internal distribution: hand over a .tgz instead of publishing to public npm;
2. Offline environments: machines that cannot reach the registry can still install;
3. Pre-release self-test: run pnpm pack and verify in a local profile before publishing.

Which source to pick: start with DSH Plugin Hub one-click installs

The CLI sources each have a hurdle, so the most practical path is installing DSH Plugin Hub first and letting its built-in plugin store handle one-click installs - the Hub routes you to the right channel automatically. Install the Hub itself:

dsh plugin --profile web add dsh-plugin

Restart dsh web and open Settings > Plugin Center: browse 4,600+ community plugins by category, click a card to install with live progress, and every plugin shows its source - npm or GitHub distribution. The Hub preflights packages before install, catching "missing build artifacts" problems that would otherwise crash your app on the next restart.

dsh-plugin-hub · Plugin Center

Summary:

1. Daily use: built-in plugin store or direct npm packages - zero authorization, zero setup;
2. Trusted source with a prepare script: only then use GitHub, and lock the commit;
3. Internal or offline: local tarballs;
4. Beginners stay off GitHub source: the authorization flow plus build artifacts are two hurdles; see Uninstall DSH plugins in DSH Plugin Hub for the failure fallback.

Notes

One sentence: your source decides whether a build authorization is needed - npm and tarballs are free, GitHub source is not. Three reminders:

1. GitHub source is a security decision: allowBuilds: true lets package code execute on your machine during install - only for trusted source;
2. Missing artifacts crash on restart: git-distributed packages without lib/ fail to load; post-install checks catch it, but picking the npm version beforehand is safer;
3. Verify tarball integrity: for files from unofficial channels, check the sha256 before installing.

Sources: DeepSeek Harness docs - Bundling and installing plugins, dsh CLI README, deepseek-ai/deepseek-harness