> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://devopscube.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # How To Install Helm For Kubernetes - URL: https://devopscube.com/install-configure-helm-kubernetes/ - Published: 2026-01-12T01:34:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-02-02T07:13:03.000Z - Author: Bibin Wilson - Tags: HOW TO GUIDES, Kubernetes, #Migrated-1741795015845, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2025-03-12 15:57, #blog, #syntax-highlight This post walks you through the steps to install Helm on different platforms and shows you how to verify the installation using Helm charts. By the end of this guide, you will have learned: - The prerequisites and permissions required for using Helm - How to install Helm using different methods - How to add a chart repository and search for Helm charts - How to deploy a sample Helm chart to validate your setup ## Helm Prerequisites You should have the following before getting started with the Helm setup. 1. A running [Kubernetes cluster](https://devopscube.com/setup-kubernetes-cluster-kubeadm/). 2. The Kubernetes cluster API endpoint should be reachable from the machine you are running Helm. 3. You should be able to authenticate to the cluster using kubectl, and your user should have cluster-admin permissions 💡 Why cluster admin permissions? Many Helm charts require elevated permissions to install components like RBAC resources, CustomResourceDefinitions (CRDs), or cluster-wide resources. Cluster-admin permissions ensure Helm can perform all necessary operations without permission conflicts ## Method 1: Install Helm Using Bash Script I recommend this method if you are setting up a test environment in your local workstation or a server. For project requirements, please follow the binary installation of the specific version that is explained in the next section. ****Note:** The workstation you are running should have the [kubectl context](https://devopscube.com/kubectl-set-context/) set to the cluster you intend to manage with Helm. **Step 1:** Download the latest Helm installation script. ```bash curl -fsSL -o get_helm.sh https://raw.githubusercontent.com/helm/helm/main/scripts/get-helm-4 ``` **Step 2:** Add execute permissions to the downloaded script. ```bash chmod +x get_helm.sh ``` **Step 3:** Execute the installation script. This script will automatically find the right binary for your system. ```bash ./get_helm.sh ``` **Step 4:** Validate Helm installation by executing the Helm command. ```bash helm version ``` ## Method 2: Install Helm 4 From Binary This method is recommended for project requirements where you can have a specific version of Helm installed across all the environments. For example, if you are using [Jenkins](https://devopscube.com/jenkins-architecture-explained/) for Helm deployments, ensure the [Jenkins agent ](https://devopscube.com/setup-slaves-on-jenkins-2/)where the Helm command runs has kubectl configured with admin permissions. **Step 1:** Head over to the [GitHub Helm release page](https://github.com/helm/helm/releases?ref=devopscube.com) and copy the Linux amd64 link for the required version. ![helm installation binary - release page](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5f/2f/5f2f4d20-2abf-4534-8d40-7aa233aedd43/content/images/2026/01/image-19.png) **Step 2:** Download the binary using wget. ```bash wget -O helm.tar.gz https://get.helm.sh/helm-v4.0.4-linux-amd64.tar.gz ``` **Step 3:** Untar the downloaded file. ```bash tar -zxvf helm.tar.gz ``` **Step 4:** Move the helm executable to the bin directory. ```bash sudo mv linux-amd64/helm /usr/local/bin/helm ``` **Step 5:** Validate by executing the helm command. ```bash helm ``` ## Method 3: Install Helm From Package Managers For Mac, ```bash brew install helm ``` To install Helm on Ubuntu, use the following commands. ```bash sudo apt-get install curl gpg apt-transport-https --yes curl -fsSL https://packages.buildkite.com/helm-linux/helm-debian/gpgkey | gpg --dearmor | sudo tee /usr/share/keyrings/helm.gpg > /dev/null echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/helm.gpg] https://packages.buildkite.com/helm-linux/helm-debian/any/ any main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/helm-stable-debian.list sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install helm ``` For Windows, ```bash # For Scoop scoop install helm #For Chocolatey choco install kubernetes-helm ``` For other installation methods, check the [official documentation](https://helm.sh/docs/intro/install?ref=devopscube.com). ## Add Chart Repository 💡 A Helm chart repository is a centralized hub where Helm charts are stored, organized, and shared for easy distribution and installation. You can think of it like a package registry, similar to npm for Node.js or PyPI for Python. Chart repository makes it simple to find and use pre-configured helm charts for applications. Now that we have installed Helm, the next step is to add the chart repository. Now, add the chart repo for installing the stable charts. ```bash helm repo add argo https://argoproj.github.io/argo-helm ``` Now, you can search the available chart using the search command. For example, if you are looking for Argo Helm charts, you can search for the available Argo chart using the following command. ```bash $ helm search repo argo NAME CHART VERSION APP VERSION DESCRIPTION argo/argo 1.0.0 v2.12.5 A Helm chart... argo/argo-cd 9.3.4 v3.2.5 A Helm chart... argo/argo-ci 1.0.0 v1.0.0-alpha2 A Helm chart... argo/argo-events 2.4.19 v1.9.9 A Helm chart... argo/argo-lite 0.1.0 Lighweight... argo/argo-rollouts 2.40.5 v1.8.3 A Helm chart... argo/argo-workflows 0.47.0 v3.7.7 A Helm chart... argo/argocd-applicationset 1.12.1 v0.4.1 A Helm chart... argo/argocd-apps 2.0.4 A Helm chart... argo/argocd-image-updater 1.0.4 v1.0.2 A Helm chart... argo/argocd-notifications 1.8.1 v1.2.1 A Helm chart... ``` The charts shown above are the charts available in argo Helm repo. 💡 Organizations usually setup their own chart repoitory using tools like [Harbor](https://goharbor.io/?ref=devopscube.com), [ChartMuseum](https://chartmuseum.com/?ref=devopscube.com) etc.. Also tools like [JFrog](https://devopscube.com/setup-nexus-kubernetes/), Nexus also supports helm chart repositories. When it comes to cloud AWS ECR supports Helm charts as OCI artifacts. Google Artifact Registry support Helm charts Azure Container Registry also support Helm charts Alternatively, you can search for stable community charts via [artifacthub.com](https://artifacthub.io/?ref=devopscube.com) where you can find many community-contributed Helm charts. ![search helm charts in Artifacthub](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5f/2f/5f2f4d20-2abf-4534-8d40-7aa233aedd43/content/images/2025/03/image-5-38.png) ## Install & Validate Helm Chart To validate the Helm setup, let's set up [Argo CD](https://devopscube.com/setup-argo-cd-using-helm) using the Helm chart available. **Step 1:** First add the argo Helm repo. ```bash helm repo add argo https://argoproj.github.io/argo-helm ``` **Step 2:** Update the chart repo. ```bash helm repo update ``` **Step 3:** Let's install the Argo CD chart and test the setup. The Argo CD pods will be deployed in the default namespace. ```bash helm install argocd argo/argo-cd ``` Here `argocd` is the custom release name. You can give the name of your preference. **Step 4:** Now, check the status of the Argo CD Helm deployment using the following command. It should show the status of the deployment. ```bash helm ls ``` Alternatively, you can use the kubectl command to check the Argo CD pods deployed in the default namespace. ```bash kubectl get po ``` **Step 4:** Now, to remove the deployment after validation, all you have to do is uninstall the deployment using its release name. ```bash helm uninstall argocd ``` ## Upgrade Helm Executable If you are using an older version of Helm and want to upgrade it to the latest version, you can use the following steps, depending on your OS type. For MAC, ```bash brew update brew upgrade helm ``` For Linux, The following script will fetch the latest version and upgrade it. ```bash curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/helm/helm/main/scripts/get-helm-4 | bash ``` For Windows, ```bash choco upgrade kubernetes-helm ``` After the upgrade, check the version using the following command. ```bash helm version ``` ## Conclusion In this post, we have seen how to install Helm, install the chart repo, and validate the installation using a sample Helm deployment. When you use Helm for project use cases, it is recommended that you create your own Helm charts with approved [container](https://devopscube.com/what-is-a-container-and-how-does-it-work/) images from the security team. If you use community Helm charts in project environments, ensure you replace the community [Docker images](https://devopscube.com/build-docker-image/) with custom-built images. Next, look at the comprehensive beginner's guide on [how to create a Helm chart](https://devopscube.com/create-helm-chart/). It covers the helm chart development and its best practices using step-by-step guides.