How to package a Kubernetes app with a Helm chart

Package a Kubernetes app with Helm

Helm is the package manager for Kubernetes. A chart bundles templated manifests plus a values.yaml of defaults, so the same app can deploy to dev, staging, and production with different settings. Helm tracks each install as a release you can upgrade and roll back.

Prerequisites

• Helm 3 installed (helm version).
• A reachable cluster and existing manifests to template.

Steps

1. Scaffold a chart

helm create myapp

This generates Chart.yaml, values.yaml, and a templates/ directory with sample manifests.

2. Template the Deployment

Replace hardcoded values with template expressions:

spec:
  replicas: {{ .Values.replicaCount }}
  template:
    spec:
      containers:
        - name: {{ .Chart.Name }}
          image: "{{ .Values.image.repository }}:{{ .Values.image.tag }}"

3. Expose configuration in values.yaml

replicaCount: 3
image:
  repository: registry.example.com/myapp
  tag: "1.0.0"

Keep defaults sensible; override per environment at install time.

4. Render and lint the chart

Validate before deploying:

helm lint ./myapp
helm template myapp ./myapp

helm template prints the rendered manifests so you can review them.

5. Install a release

helm install myapp ./myapp --namespace prod --create-namespace

Override values inline or with a file: --set image.tag=1.0.1 or -f values-prod.yaml.

6. Upgrade and roll back

helm upgrade myapp ./myapp --set image.tag=1.1.0
helm history myapp
helm rollback myapp 1

Verification

Run helm list -n prod and confirm the release status is deployed. Check the rendered objects exist with kubectl get all -n prod. Perform an upgrade and confirm helm history records a new revision; roll back and confirm it reverts.

Next Steps

Add a _helpers.tpl for shared labels, validate inputs with a JSON schema, store the chart in an OCI registry, and wire Helm into a GitOps tool so chart changes deploy automatically.