GitOps the Hard Way, with Argo CD

Creating a Helm Repository

A Helm chart can be hosted in several ways: a static HTTP repository (GitHub Pages, Amazon S3, Google Cloud Storage), or an OCI registry. This section uses the GitLab Package Registry, which exposes an HTTP-style Helm repository.

You need these variables. GITLAB_USERNAME and GITLAB_TOKEN (a personal access token with the api scope) were set earlier. Two more:

• PROJECT_ID: the GitLab project ID that will host the chart. Find it under Settings > General.

• HELM_CHANNEL: the channel the chart is filed under: stable, alpha, beta, or any name you choose.

Here is an example. Make sure to replace the project ID with your own:

# Change the project ID with your own
export PROJECT_ID=82537150

# Change the values accordingly
cat <> $HOME/.bashrc && source $HOME/.bashrc
export PROJECT_ID=$PROJECT_ID
export HELM_CHANNEL="stable"
EOF

We also need to define the URL of the GitLab Package Registry:

cat <> $HOME/.bashrc && source $HOME/.bashrc
export HELM_CHARTS_URL="https://gitlab.com/api/v4/projects/$PROJECT_ID/packages/helm/api/$HELM_CHANNEL/charts"
EOF

Now, we can upload the Helm chart to the GitLab Package Registry:

# The package is named -.tgz
CHART_PKG="todo-0.1.0.tgz"

# Upload the package to the GitLab Helm registry
curl \
  --fail-with-body \
  --request POST \
  --form "chart=@${CHART_PKG