DeepSeek CLI lets you run and control DeepSeek models from your terminal with file editing, shell execution, web lookup, task orchestration, and sub-agent workflows. Works with DeepSeek v3.2 (chat + reasoner). Ready for v4.

Getting started

Install

# From crates.io (requires Rust 1.85+)
cargo install deepseek-tui --locked

# Or build from source
git clone https://github.com/Hmbown/DeepSeek-TUI.git
cd DeepSeek-TUI
cargo install --path . --locked

Add API key

Create ~/.deepseek/config.toml:

api_key = "YOUR_DEEPSEEK_API_KEY"

deepseek

Use Tab to switch modes, F1 for help, and Esc to cancel a running request.

Modes

Mode	Behavior	Approval
`Plan`	Design-first, proposes a plan first	Manual for writes and shell
`Agent`	Multi-step autonomous tool use	File writes auto-approved, shell is manual
`YOLO`	Full auto-approve	All tools auto-approved

Use /set mode normal to return to manual mode for all actions.

What it can do

Workspace file operations: read, edit, search, and patch files
Shell execution with timeout and interactive support
Web search and content capture with citations
Git inspection, task lists, and PR/issue workflows
Sub-agent orchestration and background execution
MCP integration for external tool servers
Runtime API (deepseek serve --http) for external clients

Key commands

deepseek                         # interactive mode
deepseek -p "Explain ... in 2 sentences"  # one-shot prompt
deepseek exec --auto "Fix all clippy warnings in this project"  # agentic execution
deepseek serve --http            # start local runtime API
deepseek models                  # list available models
deepseek doctor                  # environment and config checks

Configuration

Defaults can be stored in ~/.deepseek/config.toml:

api_key = "sk-..."
default_text_model = "deepseek-reasoner" # optional (or "deepseek-chat")
allow_shell = true                     # optional (sandboxed by default)
max_subagents = 3                      # optional (1-20)

Overrides:

DEEPSEEK_API_KEY (API key; highest priority)
DEEPSEEK_BASE_URL (default: https://api.deepseek.com)

See config.example.toml and docs/CONFIGURATION.md.

API Runtime

deepseek serve --http starts a local HTTP/SSE service on 127.0.0.1:7878 for multi-turn conversations, task queues, and event streaming. See docs/RUNTIME_API.md.

Docs

Development

cargo build
cargo test
cargo clippy
cargo fmt

Contributors

Hunter Bown (@Hmbown)

License

MIT

DeepSeek is a trademark of DeepSeek Inc. This is an unofficial, community-run project.

Languages

Rust 94%

TypeScript 2.6%

JavaScript 1.6%

Shell 0.8%

Python 0.6%

Other 0.1%