A Helm chart installation failed, preventing the application from being deployed to the cluster.
Helm install failures occur when chart manifests contain errors, required resources cannot be created, or cluster prerequisites are not met. Unlike upgrades, failed installs prevent the release from being created, so the cluster remains unchanged.
Check chart syntax before install:
helm lint CHART_PATH
helm template RELEASE CHART_PATH > manifest.yamlFix any YAML syntax errors.
Check dependencies are installed:
helm dependency list CHART_PATH
helm dependency update CHART_PATHDo a dry run to catch errors early:
helm install RELEASE CHART --dry-run --debug -n NAMESPACEReview the output for issues.
Verify cluster has required resources:
# Check for required StorageClass
kubectl get storageclass
# Check for required namespaces
kubectl get namespaces
# Check for CRDs if chart uses custom resources
kubectl get crdsAlways use --dry-run before production installs. Create a values.yaml for your environment and version control it. Use Helm hooks for complex setup (pre-install, post-install). For charts with external dependencies, validate those are accessible first. Consider using a Helm plugin like helm-diff to see what will be deployed before actual install.
Run install with proper values:
helm install RELEASE CHART_PATH -n NAMESPACE --create-namespace -f values.yamlIf it succeeds, verify:
helm status RELEASE -n NAMESPACE
helm list -n NAMESPACE