Plugin configuration dies quietly. A bad update resets your settings, a wiped machine takes the whole folder, and a repo rename orphans the install you spent an afternoon tuning. A backup routine for DSH plugins is not a nice-to-have; it is what separates a five-minute restore from an evening of redoing work.
Where DSH plugin settings actually live
DeepSeek Harness keeps plugin data in the user config directory, separate from the application install. On Windows that is %APPDATA%\deepseek-harness, on macOS ~/Library/Application Support/deepseek-harness, and on Linux ~/.config/deepseek-harness. Each plugin stores its own subfolder there, which is why backing up the whole directory captures everything in one move.
| Platform | Config Path | What Lives There |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | %APPDATA%\deepseek-harness | Plugin folders, settings.json, logs |
| macOS | ~/Library/Application Support/deepseek-harness | Plugin folders, preferences |
| Linux | ~/.config/deepseek-harness | Plugin folders, config files |
A backup routine that survives real events
1. Copy the config directory, not individual files
Plugins write to their own subfolders and occasionally to shared files. Copying the whole deepseek-harness config directory catches everything, including settings you forgot existed.
2. Version the backups
A single backup file is only useful until the moment it is also corrupted. Keep the last three versions, with a date in the name, so a bad backup does not become your only backup.
3. Keep one copy off the machine
A backup on the same disk survives a bad update but not a dead drive. One copy in cloud storage or on a second machine covers the hardware failure case.
4. Test the restore path
Once a month, restore the backup into a fresh harness install and confirm plugins load. A backup that has never been restored is a hope, not a plan.
How to restore after an update or a wipe
For a bad update: close harness, replace the plugin subfolder with the backed-up one, restart. For a wiped machine: install harness, copy the config directory back, then verify each plugin appears in the plugin list before relying on it.
FAQ
How often should I back up DSH plugin configs?
After any significant change plus a weekly snapshot. Frequency matters less than having a recent copy when something breaks.
Can I sync DSH plugin settings across machines?
Yes, if the plugins do not hardcode absolute paths. Copying the config directory to a second machine works for most plugins; path-dependent ones need a manual tweak.
What should I do with a corrupted backup?
Go to the previous version, then find what changed in the corrupted one. This is why keeping three versions beats keeping one.
Check the plugin quality index at dshquality.com before installing anything new, so the config you are backing up is worth restoring.