Helm

Full Helm release management without needing the Helm CLI installed. Krust reads Helm data directly from Kubernetes secrets.

This page is about Helm operations during live troubleshooting and routine release checks. It is less about chart authoring and more about understanding what was deployed, what changed, and whether rollback is safe.

Overview

Krust provides complete Helm release management built into the GUI. You can list releases, inspect their history, rollback to previous revisions, and view values YAML — all without installing or configuring the helm CLI binary.

The main benefit is reducing the number of separate commands needed when the real question is operational: what version is live, what changed in the last release, and can I roll back without guessing.

Release List

The Helm view shows all releases across your cluster with key details at a glance:

• Release name and namespace
• Status — deployed, failed, pending, superseded, uninstalled
• Chart name and chart version
• App version — the version of the application packaged in the chart

Filter and sort the release list by any column. The list updates in real time as releases are installed or upgraded.

History & Revisions

View the full revision history for any release. Each revision shows the chart version, app version, status, and timestamp. Compare revisions to understand what changed between deployments.

This is particularly useful after a failed upgrade, when you need to distinguish between chart-level change, values-level change, and plain rollout timing.

Rollback

Rollback to any previous revision with a single click. Krust shows the target revision details before confirming, so you know exactly what state you're rolling back to.

Rollback becomes safer when the target revision is visible and comparable, instead of being a revision number you have to remember from terminal history.

Upgrade

Upgrade a release with modified values directly from the GUI. Right-click a release or use the Upgrade button in the inspector to open the upgrade editor. The editor loads your current user values in a full-featured YAML editor where you can:

• Edit values — modify any configuration value with syntax highlighting
• Diff changes — see exactly what you changed before applying (Cmd+D)
• Preview manifests — dry-run the upgrade to see the rendered manifest diff against the current deployment
• Revert — undo all changes and start over

A confirmation dialog prevents accidental upgrades. The status bar shows progress during the upgrade operation.

Values

Inspect the values YAML used for any release or revision. View user values, all computed values, or default chart values in standalone editor windows. Compare values between any two revisions with a side-by-side diff view.

In practice, this is where many Helm investigations actually land: not \"is Helm installed correctly?\" but \"which value changed and why did that change alter runtime behavior?\"

How It Works

Helm stores release data as Kubernetes secrets with the type sh.helm.release.v1. Krust reads these secrets directly via the Kubernetes API, decodes the Helm release metadata, and presents it in the GUI. This means:

• No helm binary required on your machine
• Works with any Helm-managed cluster, regardless of how releases were installed
• Uses your existing kubeconfig and RBAC permissions — no additional credentials needed

Recommended Usage Pattern

• Use the release list for quick health and version checks.
• Open revision history before rollbacking anything in production.
• Compare values and rendered changes before concluding a release caused the issue.

What This Does Not Replace

• Chart development workflows in your editor and repo.
• CI/CD pipelines that render or promote Helm releases automatically.
• Git review for long-lived configuration changes.