First-run "npx @deepseek-ai/dsh web" gives zero progress feedback for 8+ minutes on Windows

[KratosLee-6]

Environment

• OS: Windows 10 (git-bash / MSYS shell)
• Node v22.23.2, npm 11.12.1
• Package: @deepseek-ai/dsh 0.1.0-rc.6 (fresh npx --yes @deepseek-ai/dsh web, no prior cache)

Repro

1. Run npx --yes @deepseek-ai/dsh web on a machine without the package cached.
2. Observe: for ~8 minutes the only output is npm deprecation warnings (npm warn deprecated node-domexception@1.0.0: ...). No install progress, no build stage, no "server starting".
3. Port 3080 is not listening the entire time; the process looks hung.
4. Finally dsh web: http://127.0.0.1:3080 appears and everything works.

Impact

• Users (especially on slow networks, common in China) will think the install is stuck and kill the process.
• No way to distinguish "downloading" from "building" from "starting".
• The first-run experience is the first impression of the product.

Expected

• Phase indicators on first run: installing dependencies… / building… / starting server… (or a spinner), or at minimum a printed note "first run downloads dependencies, this can take several minutes".
• Consider documenting npm mirror configuration (registry.npmmirror.com) for CN users, and/or making the progress output visible through the npm lifecycle.

[xw901103]

tldr, manual assemblies required.

right now, on windows platform, not as advertised.

you have to git clone the repo, you have to install it manually. if you encounter errors such as rolldown binding package used by vite for native windows platform cannot be found, install it manually. some powershell toolcall would go into errors such as missing command or description properties.

[KratosLee-6]

Thanks @xw901103 for the additional data points — same conclusion from our side, plus a measurement:

Reproduced on our machine (Windows 10, Node v22.23.2, npm 11.12.1, fresh npx --yes @deepseek-ai/dsh web):

• ~8 minutes of complete silence (only npm warn deprecated node-domexception@1.0.0), no install/build/ready indicators, port 3080 not listening until the very end, then dsh web: http://127.0.0.1:3080 appears.
• The process looks hung the whole time; on slow networks (common in China) this is even worse.

Confirmed problems on Windows so far (for the maintainers):

1. First-run gives zero progress feedback and no "this may take minutes" note.
2. Native bindings (rolldown/vite) for Windows are not resolved automatically — manual install required, as @xw901103 said.
3. Some PowerShell tool calls fail with missing command/description properties.

Suggested fixes:

• Print phase indicators on first run (installing dependencies… / building… / starting server…) and a heads-up that first install can take several minutes.
• Document npm mirror config (registry.npmmirror.com) for CN users.
• Ship/pre-fetch the Windows native bindings as part of the npm postinstall, or fail with a clear actionable error instead of a missing-binding crash.
• Validate tool-call schemas (command/description) before invoking PowerShell.

Happy to help test a fix if you want a Windows repro environment.

[elibroftw]

Oh so this is a Windows-specific bug. Bad UX for sure to use deepseek as a coding agent, but it's okay if I set it up on a Linux home lab.

[KratosLee-6]

3Q,I will try ------------------------------------------------------------------ 发件人：Xu Lian ***@***.***> 发送时间：2026年8月13日(周四) 22:33 ***@***.***> ***@***.***>; ***@***.***> 主　题：Re: [deepseek-ai/deepseek-harness] First-run "npx @deepseek-ai/dsh web" gives zero progress feedback for 8+ minutes on Windows (Discussion #176) tldr, manual assemblies required. right now, on windows platform, not as advertised. you have to git clone the repo, you have to install it manually. if you encounter errors such as rolldown binding package used by vite for native windows platform cannot be found, install it manually. some powershell toolcall would go into errors such as missing command or description properties. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#176?email_source=notifications&email_token=CBRYTK5MPGKLYLK5Y7X33DD5JXGT7A5CNFSNUABIM5UWIORPF5TWS5BNNB2WEL2ENFZWG5LTONUW63SDN5WW2ZLOOQXTCOBQGAZTANJZUZZGKYLTN5XKMYLVORUG64VFMV3GK3TUVRTG633UMVZF6Y3MNFRWW#discussioncomment-18003059 >, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/CBRYTK3J6GPLADE2X3UX4BT5JXGT7AVCNFSNUABJKJSXA33TNF2G64TZHMYTGMZTGA3DKMBZGE5UI2LTMN2XG43JN5XDWMJQGYYDOMBTGOQXMAQ >. Triage notifications, keep track of coding agent tasks and review pull requests on the go with GitHub Mobile for iOS <https://github.com/notifications/mobile/ios/CBRYTK2ZC7BCV4Q3PS352ND5JXGT7A5CNFSNUABIM5UWIORPF5TWS5BNNB2WEL2ENFZWG5LTONUW63SDN5WW2ZLOOQXTCOBQGAZTANJZUZZGKYLTN5XKMYLVORUG64VFMV3GK3TUVJTG633UMVZF62LPOM > and Android <https://github.com/notifications/mobile/android/CBRYTK4WXHJ32CJBOSY6EYL5JXGT7A5CNFSNUABIM5UWIORPF5TWS5BNNB2WEL2ENFZWG5LTONUW63SDN5WW2ZLOOQXTCOBQGAZTANJZUZZGKYLTN5XKMYLVORUG64VFMV3GK3TUVZTG633UMVZF6YLOMRZG62LE >. Download it today! You are receiving this because you authored the thread.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[KratosLee-6]

Thanks @elibroftw for the heads-up — and good to know Linux gives you a smoother first-run. I will switch over and give it another try there. If anything interesting (good or bad) comes up vs the Windows run, I will post the delta back here.

One quick question while you have it working: did you hit the same rolldown binding package snag on Linux as @xw901103 mentioned, or did the native build just work out of the box? Worth knowing before I retest.

[elibroftw]

On Linux it just took some time to get running but no issue. The only other issue is if I ask it to add a plugin. Then the harness will try to restart and after restart nothing works. So custom plugin is unstable.

[HarcoChen]

Hey! Check #3970 for detailed trace back?