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This article explains basic Helm operations using the command-line interface. When you run the Helm command without any subcommands, it provides a list of common actions and available commands. For example, executing:
displays:
This output serves as a quick reference to the available Helm commands. For instance, if you need to revert a failed upgrade, you can quickly find out by searching within the help details that the correct command is helm rollback, not “restore.”

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Managing Chart Repositories

Exploring repository-related commands is straightforward. Running:
produces:
This clearly outlines the commands for managing chart repositories—whether you need to add, list, remove, or update them.

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Deploying an Application on Kubernetes

Imagine you want to launch a WordPress website on Kubernetes using a chart from an online repository, such as Artifact Hub. Charts with an official or verified publisher badge ensure authenticity and reliability. Follow these steps:
  1. Note: First, add the Bitnami repository:
  2. Note: Then, install the WordPress chart:
After running these commands, you should see an output similar to:
This output confirms that your WordPress application is successfully deployed and provides details on how to access it from within the Kubernetes cluster.

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Searching for Charts

Helm offers robust search functionality to help you find specific charts. To search for a chart on Artifact Hub, you can use:
This command returns a list of available WordPress charts with details such as chart version, app version, and a short description. If you prefer to search within your local repositories, simply run:
This command provides similar information that helps you identify the correct chart version corresponding to the WordPress version you intend to deploy.

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Managing Helm Releases

Once a chart is deployed, it is managed as a release. To view all existing releases, run:
If you later decide to remove the deployed release (for instance, the WordPress website), you can uninstall it with:
This command cleans up all Kubernetes objects that were created during deployment.

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Managing Local Helm Repository Data

To view your configured chart repositories, execute:
Over time, locally cached repository data can become outdated. To refresh this information, run:
This command ensures you have the latest chart data locally.
Wrapping Up: This article provided an overview of basic Helm CLI operations—from accessing help information to deploying and managing applications on Kubernetes. Experiment with these commands in your environment to become more confident with Helm.
Happy Helming!

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