How to Update DeepSeek Harness When npm Version Doesn’t Change

You ran npm update -g @deepseek-ai/dsh, saw a bunch of packages added and removed, then checked dsh -V and got the same version number back. This isn’t a user error — it’s how the @deepseek-ai/dsh package is published on npm.

Why npm update Doesn’t Give You the Latest GitHub Release

The npm next channel and GitHub Releases are published 「independently」. The GitHub Latest tag currently points to dsh-v0.1.0-rc.12, but the highest version of @deepseek-ai/dsh available on npm is 0.1.0-rc.7.

That’s the root cause. The version you see on the GitHub Releases page isn’t necessarily the version you can install via npm install. These two distribution channels are not synchronized, and often they deliberately stay out of sync.

「Why did npm update -g show activity but leave the version unchanged?」 Because npm update only looks for newer versions within the same major version range of what you already have installed. If you’re on 0.1.0-rc.7 and there is no higher version in the npm registry, npm update does nothing to the main package. The output you saw — “added 21 packages, removed 100 packages” — was npm updating other dependencies in the global space, not @deepseek-ai/dsh itself.

Three Ways to Get a Newer Version

1. Install the Latest Available npm Version (Recommended if you don’t need rc.12)

If you’re fine with whatever npm considers the latest stable build, run:

npm install -g @deepseek-ai/dsh@latest

As of now, the latest tag points to 0.1.0-rc.7. After installation, confirm with dsh -V.

2. Build rc.12 Directly from GitHub Source

0.1.0-rc.12 is 「not」 published to npm. To use this specific version, clone the repository and build locally:

git clone --branch dsh-v0.1.0-rc.12 --depth 1 https://github.com/sdkwork-ai/deepseek-harness-desktop.git
cd deepseek-harness-desktop
pnpm install
pnpm run build
pnpm dsh web
  • --branch dsh-v0.1.0-rc.12 checks out the exact tag.
  • --depth 1 downloads only the latest commit, saving time and bandwidth.

3. Use npx to Run the Latest next Channel Without Installing Globally

If you just need to run the tool occasionally and don’t care about pinning a specific version, npx is the simplest approach:

npx @deepseek-ai/dsh@next web

This pulls the latest available version from the npm next channel every time you run it. To check which version you’ll get before actually running the web UI:

npx @deepseek-ai/dsh@next --version

「Important」: npx @deepseek-ai/dsh web (without @next) uses the latest tag, while npx @deepseek-ai/dsh@next web uses the next channel. These can point to different versions, and currently they do.

What to Check Before Upgrading

DeepSeek Harness is in 「developer preview」. The official documentation explicitly warns that breaking changes will occur in future releases. Upgrading to a newer version may make old conversations unusable, or cause plugin setting cards to disappear.

If you’re using a particular version for ongoing work, do this before upgrading:

  1. Note down your current version and the list of installed plugins.
  2. Test the new version in an isolated environment — for example, create a fresh directory and run npx from there.
  3. Only switch over after you’ve verified that your critical workflows still work. Keep the old installation around as a fallback.

Quick Reference

Goal Command
Update to the latest npm latest version npm install -g @deepseek-ai/dsh@latest
Use GitHub rc.12 Build from source with git clone --branch dsh-v0.1.0-rc.12
Run the latest next channel temporarily npx @deepseek-ai/dsh@next web
Check the version from the next channel npx @deepseek-ai/dsh@next --version

FAQ

「Q: My npm update -g didn’t change the version. Did I do something wrong?」
No. The npm registry for @deepseek-ai/dsh currently caps at 0.1.0-rc.7. There is simply no newer version to update to via that channel.

「Q: GitHub shows rc.12 as latest. Why can’t I install it via npm?」
The npm next channel and GitHub Releases are published independently. rc.12 is currently distributed only through the GitHub source repository.

「Q: What’s the difference between npx @deepseek-ai/dsh@next web and npx @deepseek-ai/dsh web?」
The first uses the next tag, the second uses the latest tag. They may point to different versions — check with --version first.

「Q: How do I switch my global installation to the next channel?」
Run npm install -g @deepseek-ai/dsh@next. It will overwrite your existing global installation.

「Q: My old conversations broke after an upgrade. What can I do?」
Breaking changes are expected during the developer preview. Always test in a separate environment before upgrading. If you already upgraded and can’t roll back, you may need to create new conversations — old session data might be incompatible.

「Q: What’s the default port for dsh web?」

  • npx and source builds default to 3080.
  • Docker deployments default to 4080.
  • Kubernetes port-forwarding defaults to 4081.

「Q: Do the desktop app and npx method share data?」
Yes. Both use the $DSH_HOME or ~/.dsh directory for configuration, credentials, sessions, and attachments. They are not isolated from each other.

If you’re still stuck, check the official GitHub Releases page for the latest source tags and build instructions. Always prefer the npx approach for one-off runs — it avoids global version lock-in and cache issues.