DSHGuide

Contents / Chapter 7

Chapter 7 — Modes and Presets: Same Model, Different Ways to Work

4 min read · 826 words · 13 sections

What You Will Learn

  • Understand that a Preset is neither a model nor a separate app;
  • Distinguish Standard, Creator, PTC, and Minimal;
  • Choose the right mode for a task;
  • Understand how to customize a Preset;
  • Avoid treating a mode as a security sandbox.

7.1 A Useful Metaphor: A Loadout

The same model can work in different ways:

  • Everyday coding and file work;
  • Extending DSH itself;
  • Batch tool calls and data analysis;
  • A minimal setup for quick questions.

These ways of working are Presets.

Think of a Preset as a character loadout:

Same Agent engine
  + different tools
  + different prompt
  + different Skills
  + different policies
= a different mode

It does not switch the model, the runtime, or the sandbox. It selects which capabilities this Agent gets.

7.2 Standard Mode

The everyday default. Good for:

  • Coding;
  • Reading and writing files;
  • Web research;
  • Document work;
  • Spreadsheets;
  • General multi-step tasks.

It usually includes:

  • File read/write;
  • Terminal;
  • Web search/fetch;
  • Subagents;
  • Plans, todos, goals;
  • File delivery;
  • Skills.

If you do not know what to choose, choose Standard.

7.3 Creator Mode

Creator is not "Standard but smarter." It is the mode for extending DSH itself.

It usually adds:

  • Runtime inspection: inspect services, Config, tools, Skills, and UI slots;
  • Plugin management: install, enable, disable, and remove plugins;
  • Authoring guidance: Cordis plugins, Bundles, and Presets.

Use it for:

  • Building a DSH plugin;
  • Adding a tool or UI panel;
  • Creating a custom Preset;
  • Debugging why a plugin did not load.

Do not use it for:

  • Everyday coding;
  • Routine file work;
  • Tasks that do not extend DSH.

It adds tools and permissions, which cost context and raise risk. Standard is lighter and safer for daily work.

7.4 PTC Mode

PTC stands for Programmatic Tool Calling. It organizes tool calls through code.

Good for:

  • Batch tool calls;
  • Filtering, deduplicating, and summarizing results;
  • Loops, conditions, and composition;
  • Data analysis.

It is not automatically faster or cheaper. For everyday work, Standard is fine.

7.5 Minimal Mode

Minimal keeps only a few tools. Use it for:

  • Quick questions;
  • Small reads and writes;
  • Reducing tool and context noise.

Its capability boundary is narrow. Switch back to Standard for complex work.

7.6 Which Mode Should I Use?

Task Suggestion
Everyday coding and file work Standard
Building DSH plugins or presets Creator
Batch tool calls and data analysis PTC
Quick questions and small tasks Minimal
Unsure Standard

7.7 What a Preset Actually Is

In DSH, a Preset is a list of child plugins for one Agent, plus metadata such as name, description, and order.[1]

It looks roughly like:

id: standard
name: Standard
order: 1
plugins:
  - persona
  - tool-bash
  - tool-fs
  - tool-web
  - ...

Key points:

  • It is declared by the @deepseek-ai/dsh-agent-preset plugin;
  • It is managed by agent-preset-registry;
  • Each Session selects one Preset;
  • Definitions activate eagerly;
  • Edits affect newly created Agents;
  • Running Agents keep the revision they started with;
  • Subagents usually inherit the parent's Preset.

It is not

  • A model;
  • A sandbox;
  • A separate process;
  • A "more advanced model."

It is not a security boundary

A Preset can isolate tools and services, but it is not a security sandbox.

  • Plugin code still runs in the Host process;
  • File permissions, approvals, and sandboxing are separate mechanisms;
  • Do not assume switching modes removes risk.

7.8 Custom Presets

You can create modes such as:

  • "Code review mode": read-only, report first, do not edit;
  • "Writing mode": fixed voice and output structure;
  • "Data mode": read data and run analysis only.

The correct path is usually:

  1. Describe the mode in Creator;
  2. Have the Agent generate a Bundle patch;
  3. Install it with Plugin Manager;
  4. Select it when creating a new task.

Avoid:

  • Hand-editing the legacy ~/.dsh/.agent-presets/ directory;
  • Editing the profile's package.json directly;
  • Copying a built-in Preset and never merging updates.

A user override replaces the entire child list. New built-in tools will not appear automatically. Review it periodically.

7.9 Common Misconceptions

  • "Creator is smarter." No; it has extra tools and knowledge for extending DSH.
  • "Switching Preset changes the model." No; the model is configured separately.
  • "A Preset is a security sandbox." No; security comes from permissions and sandboxing.
  • "More Presets is better." No; each one costs maintenance.
  • "Custom Presets follow built-in updates automatically." No; override replaces the whole list.

Try It

  1. Create a task in Standard;
  2. Ask: "Which tools do you have? Which are read-only?"
  3. Create another task in Creator;
  4. Ask the same question and compare;
  5. Do not install or modify anything yet.

Summary

  • A Preset is an Agent capability composition, not a model or sandbox.
  • Standard is the daily default; Creator is for extending DSH; PTC is for programmatic tool use; Minimal is for small tasks.
  • Running Agents keep their starting Preset revision.
  • Customize Presets through Bundles and Plugin Manager, not legacy directories.
  • A Preset is not a security boundary.[2]

References

  1. DeepSeek Harness plugin development
  2. DeepSeek Harness GitHub repository

All links are public sources; product behavior may change between versions.

↑