Profiles and cores

Separate Harness configuration with profiles and choose the active core.

Profile defines the configuration, plugin, and patch environment. The core determines which Harness version runs the local service.

Choose a profile

First installation creates and uses the tauri profile; web is the default profile started officially. Other profiles live under $DSH_HOME/profiles/<id>. Session data lives outside profiles, so switching profiles does not isolate all session history.

1. Create or clone a profile in desktop Configuration → Profiles.
2. Pause active tasks and record workspaces and uncommitted changes.
3. Switch profiles, restart when prompted, and check models and plugins.

Back up before deleting, resetting, or restoring over a profile. Profile backups cover only the current profile, not workspaces or complete session data outside it. Credentials are excluded by default; treat backups as sensitive files if you include them.

Migrate profile data

When the official core has a cross-version upgrade, the desktop recommends a new profile, but that new profile loses plugins and related configuration. Choose Migrate profile data in Profiles to move plugins and profile data safely.

Choose a core

Cores come from every version published in the official GitHub Releases and are packaged automatically by deepseek-harness-pkg. Different cores affect plugin compatibility.

Source	Purpose
Automatic	Prefer a compatible local CLI core; otherwise use the managed core
Local	Use a compatible local Harness installation detected by the desktop
App	Use a prebuilt distribution downloaded by the desktop

The current recommended core is 0.2.0-rc.2; the minimum accepted version is 0.1.5-rc.1. Desktop and plugin compatibility rules still filter the version list; not every upstream version is guaranteed to work.

Before switching or upgrading

1. Finish or pause tool tasks, back up the profile, and check repository status.
2. Choose a compatible core; follow any prompt to use a separate version profile.
3. Wait for the service to restart, then check session connection, models, and plugins.
4. If errors occur, preserve logs and try an installed compatible version before deleting data.

Profiles and plugins run with the process’s granted permissions. Use a separate user, container, or virtual machine to test untrusted plugins.

Continue with Plugins or Updates.