#helmfile (2024-08)

Atmos natively supports Helmfile components same way as terraform/OpenTofu components.

We used to use Helmfile components s lot.

See some examples here https://github.com/cloudposse/atmos/tree/main/examples/tests/components/helmfile

https://github.com/cloudposse/atmos/tree/main/examples/tests/stacks/catalog/helmfile

Currently our proffered way to provision Helm charts with Terraform is to use the https://github.com/cloudposse/terraform-aws-helm-release module

many EKS components that provision Helm charts are using the helmfile-relese module, e.g.

https://github.com/cloudposse/terraform-aws-components/tree/main/modules/eks

https://github.com/cloudposse/terraform-aws-components/blob/main/modules/eks/cert-manager/main.tf#L10

@Andriy Knysh (Cloud Posse) thanks! that example is great!

this allows us to have everything in Terraform - the core infrastructure components (VPC, EKS, etc.), and the components that are deployed on EKS clusters

the helm-release component allows provisioning external Helm Charts (from 3rd parties) as well as internal/custom charts, e.g. https://github.com/cloudposse/terraform-aws-components/tree/main/modules/eks/actions-runner-controller

it’a good question. we will write more docs about how to setup helmfile for new project.

I can help with the docs @yxxhero we should discuss where they will go

@Andriy Knysh (Cloud Posse)

we have a few different scenarios here:

• Atmos does have this command https://atmos.tools/cli/commands/aws/eks-update-kubeconfig, but it does not run it automatically, you can run it manually and update the kubeconfig from the cluster (“login” to the cluster)

• If you are using Helmfile, then Atmos will execute the command aws --profile <profile> eks update-kubeconfig <cluster-name> , where <profile> is the AWS profile defined in atmos.yaml in helmfile.helm_aws_profile_pattern section (Atmos processes all the tokens ij the profilem pattern and replaces them with the context vars like tenant, environment, stage, etc <cluster-name> is the name of the EKS cluster defined in atmos.yaml in the helmfile.cluster_name_pattern section (again, Atmos replaces all the tokens with the context variables

See https://github.com/cloudposse/atmos/blob/main/examples/tests/atmos.yaml#L43 as an example

• If you are using the `https://github.com/cloudposse/terraform-aws-helm-release Terraform module to provision Helm Charts with Terraform (not using Helmfile), see the examples of EKS components that use the module https://github.com/cloudposse/terraform-aws-components/tree/main/modules/eks https://github.com/cloudposse/terraform-aws-components/blob/main/modules/eks/external-dns/main.tf#L21

then Atmos does not access the EKS cluster and does not download the kubeconfig from it, Terraform code does that. It uses the EKS cluster remote state https://github.com/cloudposse/terraform-aws-components/blob/main/modules/eks/external-dns/remote-state.tf#L1 to get the cluster eks_cluster_oidc_issuer_url https://github.com/cloudposse/terraform-aws-components/blob/main/modules/eks/external-dns/main.tf#L40 and uses the TF helm provider which logs in to the cluster https://github.com/cloudposse/terraform-aws-components/blob/main/modules/eks/external-dns/provider-helm.tf https://github.com/cloudposse/terraform-aws-components/blob/main/modules/eks/external-dns/provider-helm.tf#L154 and provisions the Helm Chart

@Brennan

Thanks @Andriy Knysh (Cloud Posse), still going through your response but it’s quite helpful

if you are using Helmfile and atmos helmfile diff/apply commands, look at item #2

it’s exactly the same as for Terraform

Atmos generates a varfile for the component in the stack from the stack manifests

then executes the helmfile command and uses the argument --state-values-file to point to the generated varfile

see https://helmfile.readthedocs.io/en/latest/

you have a Helm Chart with some values (defined in values.yaml, and/or helmfile environment files with some values, and Atmos will generate the additional varfile and instruct Helmfile to use it

so the final values for the Helm release will be combined from at least three sources:

• Atmos generated varfile (values file)

• Helmfile environments and value files

• Helm Chart value file

@Brennan

hmm okay, that’s making sense. Thanks ! I think var vs value threw me off a bit

Seems to be home directory related actually. How does specify using the home directory in atmos.yaml for where to local the kubeconfig info? Had trouble with $HOME as well.

do you want to set kubecofnig flag in helmfile?

trying to set the home directory in the atmos.yaml file.

more specifically it seems like this example can use env vars but if I try "{{ .Env.HOME }}/" … it seems to be taken literally.

Best to ask in atmos

@Erik Osterman (Cloud Posse) done, thanks!