Build Your First Helm Chart from Scratch
Author a Helm chart from a raw Kubernetes manifest set, then install, upgrade, and rollback the release on a local kind cluster.
Lab overview
Helm is the de-facto package manager for Kubernetes: every major CNCF project, every managed cloud platform, and almost every internal platform team ships software as Helm charts. A chart packages a set of raw Kubernetes manifests into one reusable, versioned bundle. You install, upgrade, and roll back that bundle as a single unit. Without Helm, shipping even a modest application means hand-maintaining a separate set of manifests for every environment. With Helm, you keep one chart and a small set of values files. You can read more about Helm here.
Under the hood, Helm renders Go templates against a values.yaml file to produce the final Kubernetes manifests. It then records each install as a release, storing those manifests and their computed values as Secrets inside the cluster. That release history is what makes upgrades safe and rollbacks instant.
In this lab, you will start with a three-resource manifest set for a small web application and turn it into a Helm chart. You will scaffold the chart with helm create, replace the boilerplate with real Deployment, Service, and ConfigMap templates, and drive them through values.yaml. From there, you will practice the full release lifecycle: installing, upgrading, viewing history, rolling back, and uninstalling.
Objectives
By completing this intermediate lab, you will be able to:
- Scaffold a chart with
helm createand learn what each generated file does - Author parameterized Deployment, Service, and ConfigMap templates driven by
values.yaml - Install the chart as a release and inspect what Helm records in the cluster
- Upgrade the release with both
--setflags and an override file - Inspect the release history, roll back to an earlier revision, then uninstall it cleanly
Who is this lab for?
This lab is designed for:
- Developers who know the core Kubernetes objects but have never authored a chart
- Platform engineers who want a standard way to package and ship apps across teams
- Anyone preparing for CKAD or moving toward a GitOps workflow
Verified against your live environment
An automated validation engine inspects your actual resources and configurations as you work. Completion means the task was performed — not multiple choice, real-world proficiency.
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Related reading
Environment
Every lab includes
- Real environment, pre-credentialed
- Automated checks on every step
- Isolated sandbox, auto cleanup
- AI-recommended next steps
Lab curriculum
- 01
Getting Started with Kubernetes IDE
1 automated check
- 02
Scaffold a Helm Chart and Inspect the Generated Skeleton
1 automated check
- 03
Parameterize the Deployment Service and ConfigMap via Values
1 automated check
- 04
Install the Release and Inspect Cluster State
1 automated check
- 05
Upgrade the Release With set Flags and Override Files
1 automated check
- 06
Inspect History Roll Back and Uninstall the Release
1 automated check
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