Helm repo add clarification

Question

Want to understand how the helm repo add command works:

1. I am installing artifactory. Jfrog docs state to run the following command: helm repo add jfrog https://charts.jfrog.io
2. This writes files to my local machine: library/preferences/helm/repositories.yaml & library/caches/helm/repository/ this folder contains a tar of the chart, index.yaml file
3. Next step is to run helm install: helm install .... jfrog/artifactory -f ./value.yaml

Is the helm install command referencing the chart I now have on my local machine or is helm install reading the repo url stored in library/preferences/helm/repositories.yaml and retrieving the chart from https://charts.jfrog.io ? Once I successfully deploy the base install of artifactory and I do config changes to artifactory using helm upgrade --install ... -f ./values.yaml file I assume this command isnt referencing the chart any longer because artifactory is deploying to kubernetes? If i want to upgrade to a newer version do I run the helm repo update command, then run helm upgrade --install? Last question docs state to use the --version flag at the end of my helm upgrade --install commands. If this command is referencing a local chart and I only have one version of the chart then using the --version flag is pointless?

Answer 1

If you want to apply your changes in values.yaml you can run :

helm upgrade .... -f values.yml --install

If you want to update the chart version :

helm install .... jfrog/artifactory -f ./value.yaml --version x.x

You can see the version of chart :

helm search jfrog/artifactory

And to see the chart installed on your cluster :

helm list

I hope my post helping you ! Im not a good explainer :D