How to uninstall DeepSeek Harness: npx, npm global, source

Uninstalling DeepSeek Harness works by install type: npx leaves nothing behind, npm globals run npm uninstall -g, and source builds delete the cloned repo. This guide covers the steps for all three routes, verification commands to confirm a clean removal, data retention and full cleanup — plus the right way to uninstall plugins, and a troubleshooting table at the end.

Overview: uninstall has two layers — the binary and the data

Uninstalling removes the program only; data under $DSH_HOME (default ~/.dsh) is kept separately. Knowing these two layers prevents accidental deletion (source):

Route 1: npx — nothing to uninstall

npx pulls a temporary package on every run and creates no local install, so there is nothing to uninstall. Steps:

1. Confirm you never installed globally: which dsh reports "not found" (if it resolves, you are on Route 2);
2. Optionally clear the npx temp cache:

rm -rf ~/.npm/_npx

3. Keep ~/.dsh untouched — the next npx @deepseek-ai/dsh web still starts normally.

Fallback: want to restore after clearing the cache? Just run npx @deepseek-ai/dsh web again — nothing needs to be reinstalled.

Route 2: uninstall a global npm install

Installed with npm install -g @deepseek-ai/dsh? Remove it with npm uninstall -g. Steps:

1. Stop the running dsh web service first (close its terminal window or press Ctrl+C);
2. Run the uninstall command:

npm uninstall -g @deepseek-ai/dsh

3. Wait for npm to report the package removed; no errors should remain in the output.

Fallback: an EACCES permission error — retry with sudo. "Package not found" means it was already removed; move straight to verification.

Route 3: uninstall a source build

A source install has no global side effects; the build artifacts live inside the repo, so deleting the directory completes the uninstall. Steps:

1. Note the repo path (where you cloned it, e.g. ~/deepseek-harness);
2. Delete the whole directory:

rm -rf ~/deepseek-harness

3. Clean up any environment variables or PATH entries you configured for it.

Fallback: to keep uncommitted changes, git stash or copy them elsewhere first. Deleted paths cannot be recovered — run ls to confirm the directory contents before removing.

Confirm the removal is clean

Three checks after uninstalling. Steps:

1. which dsh: after a global install was removed, the command should no longer resolve;
2. npm list -g --depth=0: confirm @deepseek-ai/dsh is gone from the global list;
3. ls ~/.dsh: confirm the data directory is still there (if you want to keep it) with its files intact.

Data retention and full cleanup

A default uninstall keeps all $DSH_HOME data; only a full reset wipes it. Data directory contents (source):

Full-reset steps:

1. Back up what you want to keep: copy ~/.dsh/sessions and the config files elsewhere;
2. Make sure no dsh process is running;
3. Run:

rm -rf ~/.dsh

4. Reinstalling afterwards starts from a clean slate; credentials must be re-entered.

The right way to uninstall a plugin

Want to remove a single plugin rather than all of dsh? Use the Plugin Center (provided by DSH Plugin Hub) or the dsh plugin command — leave the binary alone. Two ways:

Way 1: uninstall from the Plugin Center UI

1. Open Settings → Plugin Center → Installed;
2. Find the target plugin and click Uninstall at the row tail;
3. Review the plugin and its source in the confirmation dialog, then confirm;
4. Once the live progress finishes the plugin disappears from the list; $DSH_HOME configs are untouched.

Way 2: uninstall from the command line

# List installed plugins first to confirm the package name
dsh plugin --profile web list

# Uninstall by package name
dsh plugin --profile web remove dsh-plugin

Not sure about the package name? list first, then remove. Plugin uninstall only removes the dependency; to clear leftover cache directories, manually inspect the plugin's folders under $DSH_HOME.

dsh-plugin-hub · confirm uninstall

Troubleshooting common issues

Hit an error or doubt while uninstalling? Locate it in the table first. Common issues:

Quick recap

In short: uninstall the binary by install type, back up before wiping data, and uninstall plugins through the Plugin Center or dsh plugin remove. Four reminders:

1. Removing the binary keeps your data — rm -rf ~/.dsh is a data wipe, not an uninstall; back up first;
2. Credentials cannot be recovered — keys in .credentials.yaml are write-only and never echoed; you must re-enter them after a full reset;
3. Uninstall plugins via the Plugin Center — Settings → Plugin Center → Installed → Uninstall, or dsh plugin --profile web remove <package>;
4. Reinstalling is easy — the npx one-liner brings it back, and your kept data is still there.

Sources: dsh CLI README, DeepSeek Harness docs - Quickstart, dshplugin/dsh-plugin-hub