DeepSeek Harness Minimal Mode
Minimal Mode is a built-in DSH coding-agent preset with persistent tools, image reading and automatic long-conversation compaction.
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What is DeepSeek Harness Minimal Mode?
The official DeepSeek Harness Web UI describes Minimal Mode as a two-tool coding agent with persistent bash and str_replace_editor.
The shipped Minimal preset uses a complete fixed persona and suppresses runtime-context snapshots. Alpha.3 also added image reading and automatic compaction for long conversations.
Minimal automatic behavior is separate from /compact
Minimal can read images and automatically compact long conversations. Web and Desktop users can also send /compact manually when they choose to compact the current context; the command is not what enables Minimal's automatic behavior.
Which tools are in Minimal Mode?
Persistent bash
@deepseek-ai/dsh-tool-bash-persistent provides a persistent shell across calls.
str_replace_editor
@deepseek-ai/dsh-tool-str-replace-editor provides the file-editing surface used by the preset.
The shipped Minimal composition does not load @deepseek-ai/dsh-tool-web. Its persistent Bash tool description also states that the shell does not have internet access.
How Minimal Mode selection works
Agent presets are selected for a new session. The official preset UI documentation says a running session keeps the preset it began with; changing the default applies to later sessions rather than switching an active session.
Minimal Mode vs Standard Mode
Minimal Mode intentionally exposes only the persistent shell and editor composition. Standard Mode is the broader built-in coding agent with file editing, shell, file and web search, skills, planning, goals, subagents and workflows.