Uninstall DeepSeek Harness: commands for 3 installs

Uninstall commands depend on how you installed. npx has nothing to uninstall, global npm uses npm, desktop uses the system uninstaller, and source means deleting the clone; data is separate in every case.

Four methods and commands

Find your method first, then run the command.

Package uninstall does not delete data, and clearing residue matters more than the command. Sessions, plugins, and configuration live under DSH_HOME; decide whether to keep them before uninstalling. Caches, links, and support directories remain after most uninstalls; leftovers cause "reinstall behaves strangely."

npx

npx leaves no global command, so "uninstall" means cleaning residue.

1. Stop running processes.
2. Clear the npm or npx cache directory.
3. Delete DSH_HOME if data is no longer needed.
4. Confirm no global dsh command remains.
5. Run npx again to confirm a clean cache works if reinstalling.

Check whether you actually installed globally, and delete data last. If dsh --version still works, a global package exists; do not assume npx only. Clearing the cache does not affect sessions; deleting DSH_HOME is irreversible.

Global npm

The command is simple; the trap is believing data is gone.

1. Stop the service: end the dsh process or close the window.
2. Run npm uninstall -g @deepseek-ai/dsh.
3. Confirm dsh --version fails.
4. Delete DSH_HOME and npm cache if data is not needed.
5. Check the global bin directory for links.

Command not found does not mean cleaned, and uninstall is per environment. Package files, cached plugins, and configuration may remain; check directories explicitly. Windows, WSL, and containers are separate; uninstalling in one does not remove another.

Desktop

Use the system uninstaller, then clean data.

1. Quit the app and confirm no tray process remains.
2. Uninstall from the system application manager.
3. Delete DSH_HOME and app support directories.
4. Check desktop shortcuts and login items.
5. Confirm no background update service remains.

Desktop often keeps data in application support directories, so do not remove shared system dependencies. The uninstaller may not delete them; find and delete them deliberately, but uninstall only DSH-related files.

Source

Source is self-contained and easy to remove, with caches to check.

1. Stop processes started from source.
2. Delete the cloned directory.
3. Remove build output and local caches.
4. Clean global links if created.
5. Delete DSH_HOME by decision.

Source installs usually leave no system packages, so record the commit before deleting. The residue is directories and caches; a reinstall rebuilds. If you may return, the commit makes rebuilding reproducible.

Data: keep or delete

Data is independent; decide first.

1. Back up sessions: copy the sessions directory.
2. Keep configuration: plugins and model settings can be reused.
3. Delete keys: configuration may contain API keys; remove before sharing.
4. Clean fully: after backup, decide what to delete.
5. Confirm: no running process, no required backup.

Deletion is irreversible. There is no trash bin; only a backup recovers. Do not delete data to "reinstall cleanly" before confirming the backup.

Multilingual command notes

Commands are the same; shells and environments differ.

• Windows PowerShell: run npm commands in the correct terminal; PATH changes need a new window.
• macOS and Linux: confirm the global bin and permissions, and avoid sudo unless necessary.
• WSL: uninstall inside WSL and clean the WSL data directory.
• Docker: remove the container and volume; the image is separate.

The command is not the only step; environment determines behavior. Run uninstall in the same environment as install.

Residue checklist

After uninstall, check five items.

• Global command no longer available
• Package directory removed
• Cache cleaned
• Desktop support directory removed
• Data directory handled by decision

All five confirm a clean uninstall. Missing one may cause leftover configuration or wasted space.

Next steps

Find the method, run the command, handle data. For client-specific deletion, read Deleting sessions across desktop, web, and CLI. For recovery, read How to recover a deleted session. For install methods, read How to install DeepSeek Harness: 4 methods.

Sources: dsh CLI README, DeepSeek Harness docs, DeepSeek Harness Releases