helm(1)
Helm is the package manager for Kubernetes that helps you define, install, and upgrade Kubernetes applications.
Synopsis
helm [COMMAND] [FLAGS] [ARGS]Description
Helm is a tool for managing Kubernetes packages called charts. It simplifies deployment of complex applications by bundling Kubernetes manifests into reusable charts with templating, versioning, and dependency management.
Helm uses three main concepts: a Chart (a package of pre-configured Kubernetes resources), a Repository (a collection of charts), and a Release (a running instance of a chart with specific configuration values).
Common workflows include searching for charts, adding repositories, installing releases, upgrading deployments, and managing chart dependencies.
Common options
| Flag | What it does |
|---|---|
-h, --help | Show help for the command |
--kubeconfig | Path to the kubeconfig file to use for CLI requests |
-n, --namespace | The Kubernetes namespace where the release will be installed |
--repo | Chart repository URL where to find the chart |
-f, --values | Specify values in a YAML file to override chart defaults |
--set | Set values on the command line (e.g., --set key=value) |
--dry-run | Simulate the installation without actually deploying |
--version | Specify a specific version of the chart to install |
-w, --wait | Wait for resources to be ready before marking the release as successful |
--timeout | Time to wait for Kubernetes operations (e.g., 5m0s) |
Examples
Add a chart repository to your local Helm configuration
helm repo add bitnami https://charts.bitnami.com/bitnamiSearch for available nginx charts in added repositories
helm search repo nginxInstall the Bitnami nginx chart with release name 'my-release' in the default namespace
helm install my-release bitnami/nginx -n defaultInstall a chart with custom values set via command line flags
helm install my-release bitnami/postgresql --set auth.password=secret123 -n productionInstall a local chart using values from a YAML configuration file
helm install -f values.yaml my-app ./mychartUpgrade an existing release to a specific chart version
helm upgrade my-release bitnami/nginx --version 15.0.0List all releases installed in the production namespace
helm list -n productionUninstall a release and remove all associated Kubernetes resources
helm uninstall my-release -n default