Use DeepSeek TUI CLI as an autonomous code assistant

Use DeepSeek TUI CLI as an autonomous code assistant - two modes: `deepseek exec` (headless, text-in/text-out, no filesystem access) for delegation from another agent, and `deepseek run` (interactive, full tool-calling with filesystem) for direct coding.

Emergence DeepSeek TUI

Use the DeepSeek TUI CLI (v0.8.16) as a code assistant from within your agent workflow. This skill teaches OpenClaw / Hermes agents how to delegate coding tasks to DeepSeek in two modes.

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Version

deepseek (npm wrapper) v0.8.16
binary version: v0.8.16
repo: https://github.com/Hmbown/DeepSeek-TUI.git

Install:

• Homebrew: brew install hmbown/tap/deepseek-tui
• npm: npm install -g deepseek-tui

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Two Modes of Operation

DeepSeek TUI has two fundamentally different modes, each with different capabilities:

Mode	Command	Filesystem Access	Tool-Calling	Use Case
Headless	deepseek exec <PROMPT>	❌ No	❌ Cannot execute tools	Delegate code gen from another agent
Interactive	deepseek run	✅ Yes (via tools)	✅ Full tool-calling	Direct coding, file editing, debugging

Mode 1: deepseek exec — Headless (Agent Delegation)

deepseek exec <PROMPT> calls the DeepSeek API in pure text-in/text-out mode. The model may generate tool call syntax in its chain-of-thought output (e.g. <function_calls><invoke name="list_files">), but these are never actually executed — they are only displayed as part of the model's reasoning text. No filesystem access, no tool execution.

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Your Agent (Hermes/OpenClaw)       │
│  ┌───────────────────────────────┐  │
│  │ 1. Read files (understand)    │  │
│  │ 2. Craft prompt with context  │  │
│  │ 3. deepseek exec "<prompt>"   │  │
│  │ 4. Validate output            │  │
│  │ 5. Apply changes              │  │
│  └───────────────────────────────┘  │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

You must provide all file context in the prompt — DeepSeek exec is truly filesystem-blind.

Mode 2: deepseek run — Interactive (Direct Coding)

deepseek run launches the full TUI with real tool-calling capabilities:

• list_files — browse directories
• read_file — read file contents
• write_file / edit_file — modify files
• terminal / bash — execute shell commands
• grep / search — search codebase
• And more...

When invoked from the workspace directory, it can read the entire project. Use this for direct coding sessions where you want DeepSeek to explore, edit, and build autonomously.

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How to Use (Headless Exec Mode)

Step 1 — Understand the Codebase First

Read all relevant files yourself before invoking DeepSeek. You need to know:

• Existing patterns and conventions
• Interfaces, types, and component signatures
• Exact insertion points and file structure

DeepSeek exec cannot see your filesystem, so you must provide context in the prompt.

Step 2 — Craft a Focused Prompt

Do NOT dump entire files. Structure your prompt like this:

[One-line context about the project]
[Interface of components being used]
[Example of existing usage pattern]
[Numbered change list — specific, actionable]
[Important constraints]

Step 3 — Invoke DeepSeek

# Option A: pipeline from a file
deepseek exec "$(cat /path/to/prompt.txt)" 2>&1

# Option B: inline (shorter prompts)
deepseek exec "Add a blue button that says 'Click Me' to the homepage." 2>&1

Step 4 — Validate the Output

DeepSeek's headless mode may display tool calls in its response as simulated reasoning text — ignore these. The actual output is the text content. Watch for:

Behavior	Action
✓ Returns correct code snippets	Extract from markdown blocks, apply
✗ Restructures/rewrites entire files	Discard, extract only the snippets you need
✗ Hallucinates interfaces or APIs	Cross-check against your own codebase context
✗ Displays <function_calls> blocks	These are simulated reasoning, not real tool execution

Step 5 — Apply Changes Yourself

Use targeted file editing tools (like patch or write_file) to apply only the confirmed snippets. Never blindly trust full-file output from exec mode.

Step 6 — Build & Verify

cd /path/to/project
npm run build  # or npx next build, cargo build, etc.

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How to Use (Interactive Run Mode)

When you want DeepSeek to explore and edit files directly:

cd /path/to/project
deepseek run

Or pass a goal directly:

deepseek run "Add a CommandBlock to the skills page similar to the bounties page"

In this mode, DeepSeek has full tool access and can read/write files, search, and execute commands autonomously. This is the mode the user discovered where "it reads all files in the current workspace."

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Best Practices

1. Use exec for delegation, run for autonomy — if you have your own tooling to read files and want tight control, use exec. If you want DeepSeek to explore and figure things out, use run.
2. Be surgically specific in exec mode — tell DeepSeek exact line numbers, anchor comments, and import paths
3. Validate by building — always compile/typecheck after applying DeepSeek's output
4. Use targeted edits — patch (find-and-replace) over writing entire files
5. Keep prompts under 10KB in exec mode — large prompts may degrade output quality; split across multiple calls if needed
6. Exec mode shows tool calls as text — do not be misled. The <function_calls> blocks in exec output are simulated reasoning, not real execution

Real-World Example

In a real session, DeepSeek exec generated code to add a CommandBlock installation component to an Emergence Science skills detail page:

1. Read the existing bounty page to understand the CommandBlock pattern
2. Read the target skills page to find insertion points
3. Crafted prompt with: CommandBlock interface, existing usage example, exact insertion instructions
4. Ran deepseek exec → got confirmed import and JSX snippets (with simulated tool calls in the output)
5. Applied with patch, built with npx next build → ✅ clean

Troubleshooting

Problem	Fix
DeepSeek returns nothing (exec)	Check API key and network: deepseek exec "hello"
Output shows <function_calls> blocks	These are simulated reasoning, not real execution — treat as text output
Output is truncated	Break task into smaller prompts
Hallucinated code structure	Be more explicit about file paths and existing code
Too slow	DeepSeek V4 is fast (~2-5s per call); long responses may indicate poor prompting
Files not found (interactive mode)	Ensure you cd into the correct workspace before deepseek run