TOPIC CONTAINERS
Helm kubernetes package manager — templated charts for complex apps
IN 10 SECONDS
A Helm Chart is a bundle of templated Kubernetes YAML files plus a `values.yaml` for configuration. `helm install` renders the templates with your values and applies them to the cluster. Revisions let you upgrade, rollback, and diff releases cleanly.
GOTCHA `helm upgrade --reuse-values` is dangerous — it silently preserves old values even when you upgrade to a new chart version that introduced new defaults. Use `--reset-values` or always pass `--values` explicitly.
HOW A CHART DEPLOYS
01 Helm client reads the chart directory or fetches it from a repository and loads `values.yaml`.
02 Helm client merges your custom values with chart defaults (last value file wins).
03 Templating engine renders each `.yaml.tpl` file through Go templates, substituting values with `.Values.*` and `.Chart.*` references.
04 Kubernetes API receives the rendered YAML and creates/updates resources. Helm tracks the release revision in Secrets.
POKE IT YOURSELF
helm list -A — list all releases across namespaces
helm get values RELEASE_NAME — see what values were actually applied
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