# How to Install and Uninstall ModLens as a Skill Plugin > Install and uninstall ModLens as a skill plugin by copying its folder into your AI harness skills directory. Access the modlens vision command easily without system package managers. - Repository: [liustack/modlens](https://github.com/liustack/modlens) - Tags: how-to-guide - Published: 2026-08-25 --- **ModLens installs as a self-contained skill folder that you copy into your AI harness's skills directory, making the `modlens` vision command available immediately without system-wide package managers.** ModLens is distributed through the `liustack/modlens` repository as a portable skill plugin compatible with Claude Code, Codex, Pi/OpenCode, and DeepSeek Harness. Because it runs as a skill rather than a global binary, you can install and uninstall it by simply moving folders in and out of the harness-specific skill directories. ## Installation Prerequisites Before installing ModLens, confirm that your AI harness supports the skill plugin protocol. The repository provides launchers for Unix and Windows environments that automatically detect available runtimes (the `modlens` binary, `npx`, or `bunx`) and forward commands to the CLI entry point in [`src/main.ts`](https://github.com/liustack/modlens/blob/main/src/main.ts). You will need: - Git installed to clone the repository - A supported harness: Claude Code, Codex, Pi/OpenCode, or DeepSeek Harness (dsh) - Node.js (if using `npx` fallback) or the native `modlens` binary ## Installing on Claude Code, Codex, and OpenCode For harnesses that load skills from filesystem directories, installation follows a three-step pattern: locate the directory, copy the skill folder, and verify the launcher works. ### Locate the Skill Directory Each harness reads skills from a fixed location in your home directory: - **Claude Code**: `~/.claude/skills/` - **Codex**: `~/.codex/skills/` - **Pi / OpenCode**: `~/.agents/skills/` Check which directory exists on your system, then create the `skills` subdirectory if it is missing. ### Copy the Skill Folder Clone the repository and copy the `skills/modlens` folder into your harness directory. The skill folder contains [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/liustack/modlens/blob/main/SKILL.md) (metadata for the harness), launcher scripts ([`scripts/run.sh`](https://github.com/liustack/modlens/blob/main/scripts/run.sh) and `scripts/run.ps1`), and the `references/` package with configuration documentation. ```bash # Clone the repository (shallow clone for speed) git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/liustack/modlens.git /tmp/modlens-src # Create the target directory (example for Claude Code) mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills # Copy the skill folder contents cp -R /tmp/modlens-src/skills/modlens/. ~/.claude/skills/modlens/ ``` ### Verify the Installation Confirm that [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/liustack/modlens/blob/main/SKILL.md) and the launcher scripts are present, then run the health check: ```bash # Verify files landed correctly ls ~/.claude/skills/modlens/SKILL.md ls ~/.claude/skills/modlens/scripts/run.sh # Run the doctor command via the launcher bash ~/.claude/skills/modlens/scripts/run.sh doctor ``` If the doctor reports a vision provider is ready, your harness will expose the `modlens` command on its next start. ## Installing on DeepSeek Harness (dsh) DeepSeek Harness uses a native plugin system rather than skill folders. Install ModLens directly via npm: ```bash npx -y @deepseek-ai/dsh plugin --profile web add @liustack/modlens@3.25.0 ``` Restart dsh after installation. The model selector will now display "(modlens vision)" entries, indicating the skill is active. ## Configuring Your Vision Provider After installation, select a provider and set your API key. The configuration persists in `~/.modlens/config.json` across all harnesses: ```bash # Set the provider (example: Gemini API) bash ~/.claude/skills/modlens/scripts/run.sh config set provider gemini-api # Set your API key bash ~/.claude/skills/modlens/scripts/run.sh config set gemini-api.apiKey YOUR_KEY_HERE ``` Available providers are implemented in `src/providers/` and include Gemini, OpenAI-compatible endpoints, Antigravity, Claude, Kimi, and Anthropic. ## Uninstalling ModLens Uninstalling is the inverse of installation: remove the skill folder from the harness directory. For Claude Code, Codex, or OpenCode: ```bash rm -rf ~/.claude/skills/modlens # Or: rm -rf ~/.codex/skills/modlens # Or: rm -rf ~/.agents/skills/modlens ``` For DeepSeek Harness: ```bash npx @deepseek-ai/dsh plugin --profile web remove @liustack/modlens ``` ### Cleaning Up Configuration Files The skill is self-contained, so removing the folder restores the harness to its original state. However, user-specific state in `~/.modlens/config.json` persists. To completely erase all traces: ```bash rm -f ~/.modlens/config.json ``` ## Summary - **ModLens** installs as a skill folder copied into harness-specific directories (`~/.claude/skills/`, `~/.codex/skills/`, or `~/.agents/skills/`), while DeepSeek Harness uses `npx` for native plugin installation. - The skill relies on [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/liustack/modlens/blob/main/SKILL.md) for metadata and [`scripts/run.sh`](https://github.com/liustack/modlens/blob/main/scripts/run.sh) (or `run.ps1`) to dispatch commands to the `modlens` CLI. - Because the skill forwards arguments to the binary rather than embedding runtime code, uninstallation requires only deleting the skill folder. - Configuration stored in `~/.modlens/config.json` survives uninstallation and can be manually removed if desired. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Where does ModLens store configuration files? ModLens stores all user-specific settings in `~/.modlens/config.json`. This file contains API keys, provider preferences, and guard lists, and it is shared across all harnesses regardless of where the skill folder resides. ### Can I use ModLens with multiple AI harnesses simultaneously? Yes. Because the configuration lives in `~/.modlens/config.json` and is independent of the skill folder, you can copy the `skills/modlens` directory into multiple harness skill directories (e.g., both `~/.claude/skills/` and `~/.codex/skills/`) and they will read from the same configuration file. ### What happens if I delete the skill folder but keep the config? Deleting the skill folder removes the `modlens` CLI from the harness immediately, but `~/.modlens/config.json` remains on disk. If you reinstall ModLens later, your previous API keys and provider settings will still be active. ### How do I switch vision providers after installation? Run the config command through the launcher to update the provider without reinstalling: ```bash bash ~/.claude/skills/modlens/scripts/run.sh config set provider ``` Valid provider names correspond to the implementations in `src/providers/` (e.g., `gemini-api`, `openai-compatible`, `claude`).