⚙️ Helm Cheat-Sheet
Helm is a package manager for Kubernetes that helps you define, install, and upgrade even the most complex Kubernetes applications. It uses charts to define the structure of Kubernetes applications.
🔍 Overview
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Product Type: Kubernetes Package Manager
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Focus: Simplifies the management of Kubernetes applications using “charts,” which define resources and configurations. Helm allows you to install, upgrade, configure, and manage applications within a Kubernetes cluster.
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Chart Management: Organize and manage Kubernetes applications as charts
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Repository Management: Use repositories to store Helm charts for distribution
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Deployment: Install, upgrade, or delete applications with ease in Kubernetes environments
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📦 Repository Management
| COMMAND | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
helm repo list | List Helm repositories |
helm repo update | Update list of Helm charts from repositories |
📊 Chart Management
| COMMAND | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
helm search | List all installed charts |
helm search <CHARTNAME> | Search for a specific chart |
helm ls | List all installed Helm charts |
helm ls --deleted | List all deleted Helm charts |
helm ls --all | List installed and deleted Helm charts |
helm inspect values <REPO>/<CHART> | Inspect the variables in a chart |
🛠️ Install/Delete Helm Charts
| COMMAND | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
helm install --name <NAME> <REPO>/<CHART> | Install a Helm chart |
helm install --name <NAME> --values <VALUES.YML> <REPO>/<CHART> | Install a Helm chart with overrides |
helm status <NAME> | Show the status of a Helm chart installation |
helm delete --purge <NAME> | Delete a Helm chart |
Warning
When you delete a chart with
--purge, the release is permanently removed. You cannot restore it without reinstalling.
🔄 Upgrading Helm Charts
| COMMAND | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
helm get values <NAME> | Return the variables for a release |
helm upgrade --values <VALUES.YML> <NAME> <REPO>/<CHART> | Upgrade the chart or variables in a release |
helm history <NAME> | List release numbers |
helm rollback <NAME> 1 | Rollback to a previous release number |
📝 Creating Helm Charts
| COMMAND | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
helm create <NAME> | Create a blank chart |
helm lint <NAME> | Lint the chart to check for errors |
helm package <NAME> | Package the chart into .tgz format |
helm dependency update | Install chart dependencies |
📂 Chart Folder Structure
When you create a Helm chart, it follows a specific folder structure. Below is an example for the wordpress chart:
wordpress/
Chart.yaml # A YAML file containing information about the chart
LICENSE # OPTIONAL: A plain text file containing the license for the chart
README.md # OPTIONAL: A human-readable README file
requirements.yaml # OPTIONAL: A YAML file listing dependencies for the chart
values.yaml # The default configuration values for this chart
charts/ # A directory containing any charts upon which this chart depends.
templates/ # A directory of templates that, when combined with values,
# will generate valid Kubernetes manifest files.
templates/NOTES.txt # OPTIONAL: A plain text file containing short usage notes
Info
Chart.yaml is the heart of your chart, containing metadata like the chart’s name, version, and description. You can also define dependencies in the
requirements.yaml.
📚 Resources
- Official Website: Helm Official Website
🔁 Related
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Getting Started with Kubernetes — A guide to setting up and managing Kubernetes clusters.
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Using Kubernetes with Helm — Dive deeper into Helm’s features for managing Kubernetes applications.
🌍 Explore More
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Explore Kubernetes Networking to learn about networking in a containerized environment.
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Dive into Helm Chart Development for advanced techniques in creating and customizing your own Helm charts.