Helm

Helm is the package manager for Kubernetes — charts bundle all the resources and logic to deploy complex applications; releases are the installed instances. Helm stores release state in a helm.sh/release.v1 secret in the same namespace, enabling history, rollback, and status inspection.

Workflow: add repo → inspect → install → upgrade → rollback

1. Add a chart repository

helm repo add bitnami https://charts.bitnami.com/bitnami
helm repo update                          # refresh index after adding repos
helm repo list                            # show configured repos

Start discovery at Artifact Hub — it indexes hundreds of repos. Prefer charts flagged Official, Verified Publisher, or CNCF. Bitnami is a Verified Publisher with broad coverage.

Bitnami licensing change: After mid-2024, Bitnami moved to a paid model. Free images moved from docker.io/bitnami to docker.io/bitnamilegacy. Charts remain available but may not receive updates under the free model. Evaluate alternatives if long-term maintenance matters.