dsh-subagent-model-picker
The visual, manual subagent-model selector for DeepSeek Harness.
Pick a cheaper / faster model — and its reasoning effort — for every in-process subagent, right beside the main model seat, per session, with zero guessing.
Why this exists
"Route subagents to a cheaper model" has been done many ways in the last few days, but they all decide *for* you:
| Approach | How it picks | Who decides | Predictable? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tool-based | a tool the model itself calls | the model | ❌ run-dependent |
| Auto-routing | rules / plan-mode classification | the plugin's policy | ⚠️ only as good as its rules |
| Command-based | a /command you type | you, imperatively | ✅ but no visible state |
| Manual GUI (this) | a seat beside the model seat | you, visually | ✅ deterministic + always visible |
dsh-subagent-model-picker is the only visual, manual selector in this category: a GUI control next to the main model seat, so the choice is explicit, visible at a glance, and applies deterministically to every subagent path.
What it gives you
- Manual — you choose; not a policy, not the model itself.
- Visual — a dropdown beside the main model seat (hover pill + click-outside-to-close + Escape).
- Predictable — the selection is per-session state; every child gets exactly what you picked.
- Global coverage — one host-side
agent/requestlistener coverssubagent,subagent_fork, and workflow fan-out children at any depth. - Reasoning effort — models that expose effort levels (e.g.
off/high/max) get a matching "Thinking effort" menu. - Inherit by default — subagents stay on the main model until you opt in.
- Per-session + durable — the choice follows the session and survives restart.
- Localised —
zh/enUI copy.
Complementary, not a replacement
Auto-routing plugins (tier/smart/adaptive routers, plan-mode classification) and tool/command approaches answer *"pick for me"*. This plugin answers *"let me pick"*. They compose: keep an auto-router as the default policy and use the picker to override a specific session manually — or the other way around.
How it works
Two halves cooperate without touching the apiProxy settings whitelist:
- Host (
lib/index.js) registers oneagent/requestwaterfall listener.
dsh-scope admits events *up* the scope chain, so this host-root listener sees every agent's requests; a child is recognised by agent.options.subagentDepth >= 1. It walks the parent chain to the root session and overrides { provider, model, reasoningEffort? } only for subagents.
- Persistence + transport go through a Typert Remote service
(subagent-model-picker, wire namespace subagent-model-picker) exposing get / set / clear. The client half mounts the Remote contribution (ctx.remote.$mount) and calls remote.subagent-model-picker.*; the service persists the sessionId -> { provider, model, reasoningEffort? } map host-side, so the apiProxy exposedNamespaces() whitelist is never consulted.
Install
One-liner (GitHub, market-compatible)
dsh plugin --profile web add github:ringoage/dsh-subagent-model-pickerThis is the same github: install path the DSH plugin market uses, so it can be installed straight from this repository.
Manual (edit the profile)
In your web profile (.dsh/profiles/web/package.json), add the package as a dependency and list it in dsh.profile.bundles:
{
"dependencies": {
"dsh-subagent-model-picker": "^1.0.0"
},
"dsh": {
"profile": {
"bundles": ["dsh-subagent-model-picker"]
}
}
}Then restart the harness. For a local checkout use a link: dependency pointing at this directory.
Usage
To the left of the main model selector you will see Subagent Model (or 子代理模型). Pick a model — and, if offered, a Thinking effort — and every subagent spawned from that session uses it. Choose Inherit main model (default) to restore default routing.
Limitations
- Only in-process subagents are routed:
subagent,subagent_fork, and
workflow fan-out children driven by DSH itself. External CLI agents (e.g. claude-code, codex) manage their own model selection and are not affected.
- The selector is a web client feature; host routing works regardless of
whether the web GUI is open, but the selection itself is edited from the web composer.
Development
lib/index.js— host half (Remote service +agent/requestrouting).lib/client.js— client half (slot UI + Remote contribution + locale).cordis.patch.yml— thedsh.bundle.patchinsert that mounts the plugin row.
The Remote service runs in SRC mode: methods are marked with the @Remote(name) contract applied in plain JS (no generated typert.host.js), and the client contribution ships hand-written strict descriptors.