deepseek-ai/deepseek-harness · error

web-app: frontend dist not built; run pnpm run build from th

Error message

web-app: frontend dist not built; run pnpm run build from the repository root first

What it means

The web-app bundle serves the prebuilt GUI by resolving @deepseek-ai/dsh-web-frontend/dist/index.html through package exports (resolveDistIndex). When resolution fails — a source checkout where the frontend dist has not been generated — it throws this build-order error. The dist is a build artifact, not checked in, so the message names the canonical remedy: a root build.

Source

Thrown at packages/bundle/web-app/src/index.ts:169

    + 'The apps/web Vite entry builds the shell but is not a standalone application because only dsh web injects window.__DSH_BOOT__. '
    + 'Do not start a replacement server unless the user asks; if one is needed, use a managed background job and verify its exact URL.'
}

/** Resolve the canonical loopback URL from the active Web server. */
function localWebUrl(ctx: Context): string {
  const port = ctx.get('webServer')?.port
  if (port === undefined) throw new Error('web-app: webServer service missing while resolving Web runtime')
  return `http://${LOOPBACK_HOST}:${String(port)}`
}

/** Dist location is workspace knowledge of this bundle: resolved through the frontend package exports, not configured. */
function resolveDistIndex(): string {
  const require = createRequire(import.meta.url)
  try {
    return require.resolve('@deepseek-ai/dsh-web-frontend/dist/index.html')
  } catch {
    /* v8 ignore next 2 -- reachable only on a checkout without a built dist; the test tree builds it */
    throw new Error('web-app: frontend dist not built; run pnpm run build from the repository root first')
  }
}

/** Start the maintained platform opener without forwarding Harness credentials. */
function spawnBrowserLauncher(url: string): ChildProcess {
  return spawn(process.execPath, [
    '--input-type=module',
    '--eval', BROWSER_OPENER_PROGRAM,
    '--', url,
  ], {
    env: scrubbedParentEnv(),
    stdio: ['ignore', 'inherit', 'pipe'],
  })
}

/** Hand one URL to the operating system's default browser. */
async function openBrowser(url: string): Promise<void> {
  const launcher = spawnBrowserLauncher(url)

View on GitHub (pinned to b150a551b8)

Solutions

1. Run pnpm run build from the repository root to build all workspace artifacts, including the web frontend dist
2. For a faster path, build just the frontend workspace: pnpm --filter @deepseek-ai/dsh-web-frontend build
3. Confirm dist/index.html now exists under the frontend package and that its exports map resolves

Example fix

# before
pnpm install && pnpm dsh web   # → web-app: frontend dist not built

# after
pnpm install && pnpm run build && pnpm dsh web

import { createRequire } from 'node:module'

function frontendDistBuilt(): boolean {
  try {
    createRequire(import.meta.url).resolve('@deepseek-ai/dsh-web-frontend/dist/index.html')
    return true
  } catch {
    return false
  }
}

if (!frontendDistBuilt()) {
  throw new Error('run pnpm run build from the repository root before starting the web app')
}

When it happens

Trigger: Running dsh web from a fresh clone or after pnpm run clean without running pnpm run build first, so no dist/index.html exists for require.resolve to find.

Common situations: Fresh clone: pnpm install then immediately dsh web; CI or container images that install but skip the build step; artifacts removed between runs.

Related errors

• client-modules: ${String(failures.length)} client ${packageN
• client-modules: client bundle not found; run `pnpm run build

AI-assisted analysis of deepseek-ai/deepseek-harness@b150a551b8 (2026-08-24). Data as JSON: /api/errors/ecf52920ba21211a. Report an issue: GitHub.