name	generating-helm-charts
description	Use when generating Helm charts for Kubernetes applications. Trigger with phrases like "create Helm chart", "generate chart for app", "package Kubernetes deployment", or "helm template". Produces production-ready charts with Chart.yaml, values.yaml, templates, and best practices for multi-environment deployments.
allowed-tools	Read, Write, Edit, Grep, Glob, Bash(helm:), Bash(kubectl:)
version	1.0.0
author	Jeremy Longshore <jeremy@intentsolutions.io>
license	MIT

Helm Chart Generator

This skill provides automated assistance for helm chart generator tasks.

Prerequisites

Before using this skill, ensure:

Helm 3+ is installed on the system
Kubernetes cluster access is configured
Application container images are available
Understanding of application resource requirements
Chart repository access (if publishing)

Instructions

Gather Requirements: Identify application type, dependencies, configuration needs
Create Chart Structure: Generate Chart.yaml with metadata and version info
Define Values: Create values.yaml with configurable parameters and defaults
Build Templates: Generate deployment, service, ingress, and configmap templates
Add Helpers: Create _helpers.tpl for reusable template functions
Configure Resources: Set resource limits, security contexts, and health checks
Test Chart: Validate with helm lint and helm template commands
Document Usage: Add README with installation instructions and configuration options

Output

Generates complete Helm chart structure:

{baseDir}/helm-charts/app-name/
├── Chart.yaml          # Chart metadata
├── values.yaml         # Default configuration
├── templates/
│   ├── deployment.yaml
│   ├── service.yaml
│   ├── ingress.yaml
│   ├── configmap.yaml
│   ├── _helpers.tpl    # Template helpers
│   └── NOTES.txt       # Post-install notes
├── charts/             # Dependencies
└── README.md

Example Chart.yaml:

apiVersion: v2
name: my-app
description: Production-ready application chart
type: application
version: 1.0.0
appVersion: "1.0.0"

Example values.yaml:

replicaCount: 3
image:
  repository: registry/app
  tag: "1.0.0"
  pullPolicy: IfNotPresent
resources:
  limits:
    cpu: 500m
    memory: 512Mi
  requests:
    cpu: 250m
    memory: 256Mi

Error Handling

Common issues and solutions:

Chart Validation Errors

Error: "Chart.yaml: version is required"
Solution: Ensure Chart.yaml contains valid apiVersion, name, and version fields

Template Rendering Failures

Error: "parse error in deployment.yaml"
Solution: Validate template syntax with helm template and check Go template formatting

Missing Dependencies

Error: "dependency not found"
Solution: Run helm dependency update in chart directory

Values Override Issues

Error: "failed to render values"
Solution: Check values.yaml syntax and ensure proper YAML indentation

Installation Failures

Error: "release failed: timed out waiting for condition"
Solution: Increase timeout or check pod logs for application startup issues

Resources

Helm documentation: https://helm.sh/docs/
Chart best practices guide: https://helm.sh/docs/chart_best_practices/
Template function reference: https://helm.sh/docs/chart_template_guide/
Example charts repository: https://github.com/helm/charts
Chart testing guide in {baseDir}/docs/helm-testing.md

Overview

This skill provides automated assistance for the described functionality.

Examples

Example usage patterns will be demonstrated in context.

generating-helm-charts

Install Skill

SKILL.md