# dsh-better-sidebar
A service-oriented sidebar framework, and a complete workbench out of the box
File management Edit & preview Embedded browser Real terminal Git panel Background tasks Plugin integration
A dual workbench (right sidebar + bottom panel) that opens its ctx.betterSidebar service to every plugin β
register new sidebar pages and file viewers via registerTab / registerFileViewer.
## β¨ Features
- **ποΈ File Workbench**: file explorer (lazy-loading tree) + CodeMirror editor; inline preview for images / Markdown / HTML / PDF / Office
- **π Embedded Browser**: multiple web tabs with back / forward / refresh; content runs in a sandboxed iframe; external links open in the sidebar by default
- **π» Real Terminal**: xterm.js + node-pty real shell, reconnect with transcript replay; optionally injects `terminal_*` tools for the model
- **πΏ Git Panel**: real diff + VSCode-style diff tabs, history, right-click to stage / commit / revert
- **π§© Background Tasks**: agent topology + background tasks (exit codes / live output / force-kill)
- **πͺ Dual Workbench**: right sidebar + bottom panel; drag tabs to split / merge panes (cross-panel), mobile auto-merges into a full-width drawer
- **π Session Isolation**: layout / tabs / panels persisted per session, stale state auto-purged
- **βοΈ Declarative Settings**: per-item toggles in the "Side Cards" settings section, secondary settings via the gear dialog
- **β‘ On-demand Loading**: only ~325KB core at startup; heavy deps (terminal / editor) load on demand ([design](docs/plans/2026-08-12-lazy-chunks-design.md))
- **π i18n**: UI text follows DSH's language (zh / en) with live switching
> π **Core principle**: service-first β the 7 built-in tabs + 6 viewers register through the same `ctx.betterSidebar` API as third-party plugins, with fully equal capabilities; anything the ecosystem can provide better is delegated to ecosystem plugins. See the "π Service" section below and the [external plugin guide](./docs/external-plugin-guide.md).
## π Recent Updates
v0.12.1
| Feature | Description | Screenshot |
|---|---|---|
| π Service API base | Complete type exports + `version`/`features` capability detection, state subscription (`getSnapshot`/`subscribeState`), tab `badge`, `onOpen`/`onActivate`/`onClose` lifecycle callbacks, `updateTab`/`activateTab`/`openFile`, targeted open, `meta` persisted across reloads, plugin-owned settings (`pluginToggles`/`render`) |
|
| β Add Plugins | Recommended plugin catalog in settings + one-click copy install command; built-in Office preview moved to the recommended plugin |
|
| π±οΈ Tab-bar scroll | Mouse-wheel horizontal scrolling on the tab bar | |
| π Fixes | Remote access 403 (trust fence now uses `trustedHosts`), sidebar crash [#31](https://github.com/omdsh-dev/DSH-better-sidebar/issues/31), Windows HTML-preview drive-path | |
## π Installation
**Prerequisites**: DSH installed (`dsh web` boots), Node.js β₯ 20, pnpm β₯ 10.
**macOS / Linux** (also works in Git Bash / WSL on Windows):
```sh
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/omdsh-dev/DSH-better-sidebar/main/scripts/install.sh | bash
```
**Windows (PowerShell 5.1+ / pwsh)**:
```powershell
irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/omdsh-dev/DSH-better-sidebar/main/scripts/install.ps1 | iex
```
Then **hard-refresh the browser** (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+R) to see the sidebar (DSH hot-reloads client changes; only host-half updates need a restart).
Pin a version / auto-restart (optional)
```sh
# macOS / Linux
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/omdsh-dev/DSH-better-sidebar/main/scripts/install.sh | bash -s 0.12.1 --restart
# Windows PowerShell
& ([scriptblock]::Create((irm 'https://raw.githubusercontent.com/omdsh-dev/DSH-better-sidebar/main/scripts/install.ps1'))) -Version 0.12.1 -Restart
```
Not sure? Add `--dry-run` (`-DryRun` in PowerShell) to preview before running.
Manual install (step by step)
Equivalent to the one-click script. **Step β’ is repeatable; β β‘ only need to run once.**
**macOS / Linux (bash)**:
```sh
cd ~/.dsh/profiles/web
# β Allow node-pty / protobufjs build scripts (pnpm 11 blocks them by default; skip on pnpm 10)
pnpm approve-builds --all
# β‘ Allow versions published less than 24h ago (skip for older releases; if the key already exists, merge the line under it instead)
cat >> pnpm-workspace.yaml <<'EOF'
minimumReleaseAgeExclude:
- dsh-better-sidebar
EOF
# β’ Install and auto-mount (no @version = npm's latest; pin with dsh-better-sidebar@0.12.1)
npx -y --package @deepseek-ai/dsh dsh plugin --profile web add dsh-better-sidebar
```
**Windows (PowerShell)**:
```powershell
cd ~\.dsh\profiles\web
# β Allow build scripts
pnpm approve-builds --all
# β‘ Allow fresh releases (once; if the key already exists, merge - dsh-better-sidebar under it instead)
Add-Content -Path pnpm-workspace.yaml -Value "`nminimumReleaseAgeExclude:`n - dsh-better-sidebar"
# β’ Install and auto-mount
npx -y --package @deepseek-ai/dsh dsh plugin --profile web add dsh-better-sidebar
```
What the script does (technical details)
The one-click script does four things, all idempotent (safe to re-run):
1. Pre-writes `allowBuilds` (node-pty / protobufjs) to dodge pnpm 11's build-script block;
2. Pre-writes `minimumReleaseAgeExclude` to allow versions younger than 24 hours;
3. Runs `dsh plugin --profile web add dsh-better-sidebar`: registers the dependency β detects `dsh.bundle.patch` β auto-appends the plugin to `dsh.profile.bundles`;
4. Removes any leftover hand-written mount line to avoid double-mounting (two sidebars on the page).
`curl | bash` / `irm | iex` executes remote code β the scripts are open source in the repo (`scripts/install.sh` / `scripts/install.ps1`); download and review them first if you prefer. The plugin ships as npm package `dsh-better-sidebar@0.12.1` and mounts via `dsh.bundle.patch` (the shipped `cordis.patch.yml`), so the DSH source is never modified.
Updating
```sh
dsh plugin --profile web add dsh-better-sidebar
```
or re-run the one-click script; or bump the version in `~/.dsh/profiles/web/package.json` (e.g. `"^0.12.1"`) and run `pnpm install`. Then hard-refresh the browser (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+R) β client changes do not need a DSH restart.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Cause & fix |
|---|---|
| `Ignored build scripts` | pnpm 11 blocked build scripts. Run `pnpm approve-builds --all` (the one-click script handles it). |
| `minimum release age` / version `< 24h` | The release is younger than 24 hours. Wait, or re-run once (pnpm auto-adds `minimumReleaseAgeExclude`); the one-click script handles it. |
| "profile directory not found" | Run `dsh web` once so it initializes `~/.dsh/profiles/web`. |
| Two sidebars on the page | Double-mount: `~/.dsh/profiles/web/cordis.patch.yml` still has the old hand-written `- insert: ... better-sidebar ...` line β delete it (the one-click script cleans it). |
| Terminal fails on Windows | `node-pty` relies on prebuilt binaries; if none match your Node version, install a build toolchain (VS Build Tools). Mainstream Node versions are usually covered. |
| No bash / curl on Windows | Use the PowerShell one-click command, or install Git Bash / WSL and run the bash commands. |
Install from source / develop (optional β alternative to the npm flow)
To debug local changes or track the dev branch, point the dependency at a local clone and build it yourself:
```text
1. git clone https://github.com/omdsh-dev/DSH-better-sidebar.git ~/Code/DSH-better-sidebar
cd ~/Code/DSH-better-sidebar && pnpm install && pnpm build
2. In ~/.dsh/profiles/web/package.json dependencies write "dsh-better-sidebar": "link:"
3. Append this mount line to ~/.dsh/profiles/web/cordis.patch.yml:
- insert:
- id: better-sidebar
name: 'dsh-better-sidebar'
4. Run pnpm install in ~/.dsh/profiles/web
5. Restart DSH and hard-refresh
```
Update: `git pull && pnpm install && pnpm build` β just hard-refresh the browser (client changes hot-reload; only host-half changes need a DSH restart). To switch back to the npm channel, restore `"dsh-better-sidebar": "^0.12.1"` and re-run `pnpm install`.
Install via plugin-registry (optional β use either this or the main flow)
Prerequisite: DSH with [plugin-registry](https://github.com/dsh-external/plugin-registry) integrated (`dsh registry` available). **Enabling both channels double-mounts** (the Node half loads twice, the page gets two sidebars).
```sh
git clone https://github.com/omdsh-dev/DSH-better-sidebar.git && cd DSH-better-sidebar
pnpm install && pnpm build
node scripts/package-registry.mjs # assemble the registry/ staging (manifest + artifacts + README, not committed)
dsh registry install ./registry # install (disabled by default)
dsh registry enable dsh-external/dsh-better-sidebar
```
Update: `git pull && pnpm install && pnpm build` β `node scripts/package-registry.mjs` β `dsh registry uninstall/install/enable`. Remove the other channel's mount before switching.
## β¨οΈ Keyboard Shortcuts
| Action | Keys |
|---|---|
| Save edits | `Ctrl/Cmd + S` |
| Git commit | `Ctrl + Enter` |
| Close tab | Middle mouse button |
| Split / merge panes | Drag tab to pane edge / middle |
| Reference file to input | Hover the `@file` button at end of line |
| Copy file path | Right-click row β copy relative/absolute path |
## π Service: register tabs & file viewers
Since v0.4.0 the plugin exposes the `ctx.betterSidebar` service β other plugins can register sidebar pages and file viewers (the 7 built-in tabs + 6 viewers register through the same service):
```ts
import type {} from 'dsh-better-sidebar' // triggers the ctx.betterSidebar type merge
export const inject = ['betterSidebar']
export function apply(ctx: Context) {
ctx.effect(() => ctx.betterSidebar.registerTab({
id: 'my-plugin:db', title: 'Database', component: ({ scope }) => ,
}))
}
```
v0.12.1+ base capabilities (complete type exports, capability detection, state subscription, tab badge, lifecycle callbacks, targeted open, plugin-owned settings, etc.) β see the integration docs below.
Full integration docs:
- **[`AGENTS.md`](./AGENTS.md)** β the in-repo integration doc (full fields, matching algorithm, HMR pitfalls, declarative settings, version detection);
- **[`docs/external-plugin-guide.md`](./docs/external-plugin-guide.md)** β the external-plugin guide (with a complete minimal example).
### β Add Plugins (recommended plugin catalog)
The dashed cards at the end of the "Sidebar content" / "File viewers" grids in the "Side Cards" settings section open the **Add tab plugins** / **Add preview plugins** modals: each declares its open extension point, offers a "**Browse more plugins on GitHub**" button (the [GitHub topic `dsh-better-sidebar`](https://github.com/topics/dsh-better-sidebar)), and lists the recommended catalog (name / repo / description / install script) β "**Open**" jumps to the repo, "**Copy**" writes the install command to the clipboard.
**Curating a new plugin**: append a `PluginEntry` to [`src/client/plugins-tabs.ts`](./src/client/plugins-tabs.ts) (tab registrations) or [`src/client/plugins-viewers.ts`](./src/client/plugins-viewers.ts) (file-previewer registrations) and tag your repo with the `dsh-better-sidebar` topic; data integrity is guarded by `tests/plugin-list.spec.ts`.
## π οΈ Development & Build
```sh
pnpm install # @deepseek-ai/* resolved from npm (^0.1.0-rc.6, published) β no token needed
pnpm typecheck # tsc --noEmit
pnpm build # β lib/index.js + lib/invariant.js + lib/client.js + lib/client-registry.js + lib/types
pnpm test # vitest (includes manifest consistency guard; build first)
pnpm watch # tsdown --watch
```
**Architecture**: a single npm package with host/client halves β host (`src/index.ts`): `/sidebar/api/*` JSON API, `/sidebar/file` media route, `/sidebar/html` preview route, `/sidebar/ws/terminal` WebSocket (fs / git / pty / preview, all session-scoped with a trust fence); client (`src/client/index.tsx`): portal sidebar + views + interception; state persisted per session in localStorage. Organized per DSH official conventions (no default export, dual client bundles); no dependency on npm / checkout at runtime (`@deepseek-ai/*` provided by the web profile).
## π Security
- Routes protected by a Host-header trust fence (same as `/api`); `fs.write` is atomic; media/preview routes only serve files inside the session cwd; git only shells out to the CLI and never sets identity
- HTML preview and browser tab content render in **opaque-origin sandboxed iframes** (no `allow-same-origin`/`allow-top-navigation`, `no-referrer`, all permission policies disabled); the `/sidebar/html` route carries a CSP `sandbox` + size/path bounds; the address bar rejects `javascript:`/`data:`/`file:` and local addresses like localhost
- The UI shows the sandbox status live (red warning when off) and can temporarily unlock the current page; the settings page can disable the sandbox per feature (disabled by default, with a warning) β when off, content shares the origin with the UI; only recommended for fully trusted content
## β οΈ Known Limitations
- Git has no push/pull/fetch; no file watcher (manual refresh); tool inline file-open buttons cannot be intercepted
- Dragging a terminal tab to another pane remounts it (shell restarts)
- Office-suite preview (.docx/.xlsx/.pptx) moved to the recommended office plugin (see the "Add plugins" modals in settings); without it these files fall through to the code/download fallbacks
- Browser sandbox has no login state / third-party cookies are restricted; some sites need popup login; sites that refuse embedding via `X-Frame-Options`/`frame-ancestors` (e.g. arxiv.org) show a reason panel (with "Open in browser"); in-iframe navigation does not enter the back stack
- HTML preview renders the saved file (not unsaved drafts)
- No bottom panel on mobile (<768px): on narrow screens its tabs merge into the right sidebar once (after migrating back to desktop they stay in the right sidebar); the desktop bottom panel is only available on wide viewports; auto-open terminal on first bottom-panel expand does not trigger on mobile
## π₯οΈ Platform Support
Windows / Linux / macOS (macOS validated daily; the rest covered by unit tests); `node-pty` prefers prebuilt binaries, otherwise a build toolchain is required (Windows VS Build Tools / Linux make+g+++python3 / macOS Xcode CLT).
## π Friends
- [dsh-tianshu-tui](https://github.com/huiliyi37/dsh-tianshu-tui): an interactive terminal UI plugin for DeepSeek Harness (its rendering core evolved from the self-developed harness agent Tianshu-Tui), adding TDD and evidence-gate workflows on top of the official harness
- [dsh-TUI](https://github.com/ccch1mneyyy/dsh-TUI): a Claude Code-style fullscreen interactive TUI plugin β pixel-whale top bar, live working-status row, streaming thought expansion, double-Esc rollback, context progress bar + TPS meter; one-command npm install
- [dshfind Plugin Market](https://dshfind.com/zh/plugins): a third-party plugin marketplace β a listing of public repos under the GitHub topic `dsh-plugin`, with stars, contributors and growth data synced daily
- [DeepSeek Harness Desktop](https://github.com/anywhere-labs/deepseek-harness-desktop): a modern desktop client for the DeepSeek Harness ecosystem β start and manage a local Harness service without configuring Node.js or running commands; [official site](https://www.dshdesktop.cn)