How to uninstall a helm chart?

[akhayyat]

I'm using the k3s builtin Helm controller, and it's working great, except when I need to uninstall a chart.

How can I uninstall a chart?

When I delete a HelmChart resource, it keeps coming back.

I'm installing helm charts using the HelmChart CRD with Kustomize and kubectl apply.

[brandond]

Delete the resource. The resource has a finalizer on it and should not actually get deleted until the chart uninstall is successful and the finalizer removed.

If it "keeps coming back" then either it is not uninstalling successfully and the finalizer is still present to block deletion, or the resource is being recreated by something else.

[akhayyat]

How do I find out why it's coming back?

[brandond]

Well, first step would be figuring out if it is actually "coming back" or if it is just pending deletion due to the finalizer. Have you checked the helm uninstall job pod logs?

[akhayyat]

I now have the opposite situation: I deleted a helm chart resource, and now I cannot install it again.

[akhayyat]

Any clues I can look for that would explain why I can't add a HelmChart again after deleting it?

[akhayyat]

It turns out uninstalling a helm chart leaves behind the completed helm install job, which seems to prevent creating new ones, thus preventing new installs. After deleting the job, the second install (after uninstalling) went through. Also, uninstalling seems to work in general. I will have a closer look next time it does not.

Thank you for confirming the helm chart uninstall procedure.