DeepSeek CLI

Unofficial fork of Google DeepSeek CLI adapted to use the DeepSeek API. Original work © 2025 Google LLC — Adaptations © 2026 sluisr — Apache 2.0 License.

DeepSeek CLI is an open-source AI agent that brings the power of DeepSeek directly into your terminal. An unofficial adaptation of Google DeepSeek CLI by sluisr.

🚀 Why DeepSeek CLI?

• 💰 Pay-per-use: No daily limits, pay only for tokens used via DeepSeek API.
• 🧠 DeepSeek V4 models: Features deepseek-v4-flash and deepseek-v4-pro with a 1M token context window.
• 🔧 Built-in tools: File operations, shell commands, web fetching, memory persistence.
• 🔌 Extensible: MCP (Model Context Protocol) support for custom integrations.
• 💻 Terminal-first: Designed for developers who live in the command line.
• 🛡️ Open source: Apache 2.0 licensed.
• 🔒 Isolated config: Uses ~/.deepseek/ — won't conflict with official DeepSeek CLI.

📦 Installation

Quick Install

npm install -g @sluisr/deepseek-cli

Then run:

deepseek

Update to Latest Version

npm install -g @sluisr/deepseek-cli@latest

🔐 Authentication

Get your API key at platform.deepseek.com/api_keys and set it:

export DEEPSEEK_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"
deepseek

Or enter it directly when prompted on first launch.

🚀 Getting Started

# Start in current directory
deepseek

# Non-interactive mode
deepseek -p "Explain the architecture of this codebase"

# Include multiple directories
deepseek --include-directories ../lib,../docs

📋 Key Features

• Agentic coding — reads, edits, and creates files autonomously
• Shell execution — runs commands, installs dependencies, starts servers
• Memory persistence — saves context to ~/.deepseek/DEEPSEEK.md
• MCP support — extend with custom tools via Model Context Protocol
• Conversation checkpointing — save and resume complex sessions
• Context files — create DEEPSEEK.md in any project for persistent instructions

🔨 Built-in Tools

• File system operations (read, write, edit, search)
• Shell command execution
• Web fetch
• Memory save/load (~/.deepseek/DEEPSEEK.md)
• MCP server integration

💬 Example Usage

cd my-project/
deepseek
> Build me a REST API with authentication
> Fix the bug in src/auth.ts
> Write tests for the payment module
> Explain what this codebase does

⚙ Configuration

Settings are stored in ~/.deepseek/settings.json. MCP servers can be configured there:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"]
    }
  }
}

🤝 Contributing

Issues and PRs welcome at github.com/sluisr-dev/deepseek-cli.

📋 Legal

• License: Apache License 2.0
• Original project: google-gemini/gemini-cli