I've just finished a course on Helm charts with Cloud Guru, and I feel like I have a solid understanding of the concepts. However, I'm really unsure about how to actually create a Helm chart for an application without relying on the public repository. Unfortunately, that's exactly what I'm required to do for my job! For those of you who are experienced with Helm, could you share your methods of learning? How did you transition from theoretical knowledge to actually building functional charts?
3 Answers
You might want to start really simple. Create a basic `Chart.yaml` (it's just a few lines) and copy your existing Kubernetes YAML files into it. Ta-da, you've created your first chart! Helm is about packaging up those Kubernetes files and using variables to customize things. If you're not comfortable with Kubernetes YAML yet, it'd be best to learn that first before diving into Helm charts.
I learned through trial and error, honestly. The documentation on the Helm website isn't the best in my opinion, so my focus was really on mastering Go templating. A great way to start is by checking out Bitnami's charts repository, where you can explore a bunch of charts. They can be a bit confusing at times, but that's just part of Helm charting. Helpers files will be your best friends! Good luck!
I recommend practicing on a local Kubernetes cluster—"kind" is a great tool for that. Also, you can use resources like ChatGPT to guide you through creating a mini proof of concept to grasp the basics. Happy learning!
For sure! Understanding the YAML is crucial before you start modifying things with Helm.