Troubleshoot a plugin that will not load

Last updated 2026-11-09

Most "installed but nothing happens" cases fall into four buckets, and the receipt usually names the reason.

1. Module not found

ERR_MODULE_NOT_FOUND means the declared entry is missing or its dependencies did not install — common for repositories that need a build step first. Prefer a published version.

2. Version mismatch

incompatible-version names engines.dsh or the offending peer dependency. Install a compatible version, or grant an exact-version exemption after accepting the risk.

3. Build scripts pending

Look for pendingBuilds. Approve and retry — but only for packages that genuinely need a build.

4. Platform unsupported

unsupported-platform means the bundle declares platforms that exclude yours.

Still stuck

Check the host log and the pnpm log under ~/.dsh/profiles/<profile>/.plugin-manager/logs/; they are usually more complete than the UI.