This PR introduces a completely rewritten Helm plugin (helm/v2-alpha) that dynamically generates Helm charts based on the actual kustomize output from make build-installer, replacing the previous hardcoded template approach in helm/v1-alpha.

The existing `helm/v1-alpha` plugin used static templates that didn't reflect user customizations (environment variables, labels, annotations, security contexts, etc.) made in their kustomize configuration. This led to inconsistencies between `kubectl apply -f dist/install.yaml` and `helm install`.

- Deprecated Helm v1-alpha in favour of v2
- Add docs and tests for Helm v2
- Update all samples
- Address all feedbacks raised so far

Assisted-by: Cursor

Author: camilamacedo86

Makefile

@@ -103,10 +103,11 @@ generate-charts: build ## Re-generate the helm chart testdata and docs samples
 	rm -rf docs/book/src/cronjob-tutorial/testdata/project/dist/chart
 	rm -rf docs/book/src/multiversion-tutorial/testdata/project/dist/chart
 
-	(cd testdata/project-v4-with-plugins && ../../bin/kubebuilder edit --plugins=helm/v1-alpha)
-	(cd docs/book/src/getting-started/testdata/project && ../../../../../../bin/kubebuilder edit --plugins=helm/v1-alpha)
-	(cd docs/book/src/cronjob-tutorial/testdata/project && ../../../../../../bin/kubebuilder edit --plugins=helm/v1-alpha)
-	(cd docs/book/src/multiversion-tutorial/testdata/project && ../../../../../../bin/kubebuilder edit --plugins=helm/v1-alpha)
+	# Generate helm charts from kustomize manifests using v2-alpha plugin
+	(cd testdata/project-v4-with-plugins && make build-installer && ../../bin/kubebuilder edit --plugins=helm/v2-alpha)
+	(cd docs/book/src/getting-started/testdata/project && make build-installer && ../../../../../../bin/kubebuilder edit --plugins=helm/v2-alpha)
+	(cd docs/book/src/cronjob-tutorial/testdata/project && make build-installer && ../../../../../../bin/kubebuilder edit --plugins=helm/v2-alpha)
+	(cd docs/book/src/multiversion-tutorial/testdata/project && make build-installer && ../../../../../../bin/kubebuilder edit --plugins=helm/v2-alpha)
 
 .PHONY: check-docs
 check-docs: ## Run the script to ensure that the docs are updated

cmd/cmd.go

@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ import (
 	autoupdatev1alpha1 "sigs.k8s.io/kubebuilder/v4/pkg/plugins/optional/autoupdate/v1alpha"
 	grafanav1alpha1 "sigs.k8s.io/kubebuilder/v4/pkg/plugins/optional/grafana/v1alpha"
 	helmv1alpha1 "sigs.k8s.io/kubebuilder/v4/pkg/plugins/optional/helm/v1alpha"
+	helmv2alpha1 "sigs.k8s.io/kubebuilder/v4/pkg/plugins/optional/helm/v2alpha"
 )
 
 // Run bootstraps & runs the CLI
@@ -72,6 +73,7 @@ func Run() {
 			&deployimagev1alpha1.Plugin{},
 			&grafanav1alpha1.Plugin{},
 			&helmv1alpha1.Plugin{},
+			&helmv2alpha1.Plugin{},
 			&autoupdatev1alpha1.Plugin{},
 		),
 		cli.WithPlugins(externalPlugins...),

docs/book/src/SUMMARY.md

@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@
     - [go/v4](./plugins/available/go-v4-plugin.md)
     - [grafana/v1-alpha](./plugins/available/grafana-v1-alpha.md)
     - [helm/v1-alpha](./plugins/available/helm-v1-alpha.md)
+    - [helm/v2-alpha](./plugins/available/helm-v2-alpha.md)
     - [kustomize/v2](./plugins/available/kustomize-v2.md)
   - [Extending](./plugins/extending.md)
     - [CLI and Plugins](./plugins/extending/extending_cli_features_and_plugins.md)

docs/book/src/cronjob-tutorial/testdata/project/PROJECT

@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@ domain: tutorial.kubebuilder.io
 layout:
 - go.kubebuilder.io/v4
 plugins:
-  helm.kubebuilder.io/v1-alpha: {}
+  helm.kubebuilder.io/v2-alpha:
+    manifests: dist/install.yaml
+    output: dist
 projectName: project
 repo: tutorial.kubebuilder.io/project
 resources:

docs/book/src/cronjob-tutorial/testdata/project/README.md

@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ kubectl apply -f https://raw.githubusercontent.com/<org>/project/<tag or branch>
 1. Build the chart using the optional helm plugin
 
 ```sh
-kubebuilder edit --plugins=helm/v1-alpha
+kubebuilder edit --plugins=helm/v2-alpha
 ```
 
 2. See that a chart was generated under 'dist/chart', and users

docs/book/src/cronjob-tutorial/testdata/project/dist/chart/templates/_helpers.tpl

@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+{{/*
+Chart name with fallback to nameOverride or project name.
+Truncated to 63 characters for Kubernetes compatibility.
+*/}}
 {{- define "chart.name" -}}
 {{- if .Chart }}
   {{- if .Chart.Name }}
@@ -12,7 +16,56 @@
 {{- end }}
 {{- end }}
 
+{{/*
+Full name of the chart (with release name prefix).
+Uses fullnameOverride if provided, otherwise combines release name with chart name.
+Truncated to 63 characters for Kubernetes compatibility.
+*/}}
+{{- define "chart.fullname" -}}
+{{- if .Values.fullnameOverride }}
+{{- .Values.fullnameOverride | trunc 63 | trimSuffix "-" }}
+{{- else }}
+{{- $name := include "chart.name" . }}
+{{- if contains $name .Release.Name }}
+{{- .Release.Name | trunc 63 | trimSuffix "-" }}
+{{- else }}
+{{- printf "%s-%s" .Release.Name $name | trunc 63 | trimSuffix "-" }}
+{{- end }}
+{{- end }}
+{{- end }}
+
+{{/*
+Namespace name for the chart.
+Uses .Values.namespace.name if provided, otherwise defaults to "<fullname>-system".
+*/}}
+{{- define "chart.namespaceName" -}}
+{{- if .Values.namespace.name }}
+{{- .Values.namespace.name }}
+{{- else }}
+{{- printf "%s-system" (include "chart.fullname" .) }}
+{{- end }}
+{{- end }}
 
+
+
+{{/*
+Service name with proper truncation for Kubernetes 63-character limit.
+Takes a context with .suffix for the service type (e.g., "webhook-service").
+If fullname + suffix exceeds 63 chars, truncates fullname to 45 chars.
+*/}}
+{{- define "chart.serviceName" -}}
+{{- $fullname := include "chart.fullname" .context -}}
+{{- if gt (len $fullname) 45 -}}
+{{- printf "%s-%s" (trunc 45 $fullname | trimSuffix "-") .suffix | trunc 63 | trimSuffix "-" -}}
+{{- else -}}
+{{- printf "%s-%s" $fullname .suffix | trunc 63 | trimSuffix "-" -}}
+{{- end -}}
+{{- end }}
+
+{{/*
+Common labels for Helm charts.
+Includes app version, chart version, app name, instance, and managed-by labels.
+*/}}
 {{- define "chart.labels" -}}
 {{- if .Chart.AppVersion -}}
 app.kubernetes.io/version: {{ .Chart.AppVersion | quote }}
@@ -25,26 +78,36 @@ app.kubernetes.io/instance: {{ .Release.Name }}
 app.kubernetes.io/managed-by: {{ .Release.Service }}
 {{- end }}
 
-
+{{/*
+Selector labels for matching pods and services.
+Only includes name and instance for consistent selection.
+*/}}
 {{- define "chart.selectorLabels" -}}
 app.kubernetes.io/name: {{ include "chart.name" . }}
 app.kubernetes.io/instance: {{ .Release.Name }}
 {{- end }}
 
 
-{{- define "chart.hasMutatingWebhooks" -}}
-{{- $hasMutating := false }}
-{{- range . }}
-  {{- if eq .type "mutating" }}
-    $hasMutating = true }}{{- end }}
+
+{{/*
+Common annotations for resources.
+Applies user-defined commonAnnotations from values.yaml.
+*/}}
+{{- define "chart.annotations" -}}
+{{- with .Values.commonAnnotations }}
+{{- toYaml . }}
+{{- end }}
 {{- end }}
-{{ $hasMutating }}}}{{- end }}
 
 
-{{- define "chart.hasValidatingWebhooks" -}}
-{{- $hasValidating := false }}
-{{- range . }}
-  {{- if eq .type "validating" }}
-    $hasValidating = true }}{{- end }}
+
+{{/*
+Extended labels including both common labels and user-defined commonLabels.
+Combines chart.labels with any custom labels from values.yaml.
+*/}}
+{{- define "chart.extendedLabels" -}}
+{{- include "chart.labels" . }}
+{{- with .Values.commonLabels }}
+{{ toYaml . }}
+{{- end }}
 {{- end }}
-{{ $hasValidating }}}}{{- end }}

docs/book/src/cronjob-tutorial/testdata/project/dist/chart/templates/cert-manager/metrics-certs.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+{{- if and .Values.certManager.enable .Values.metrics.enable }}
+apiVersion: cert-manager.io/v1
+kind: Certificate
+metadata:
+    labels:
+        app.kubernetes.io/managed-by: kustomize
+        app.kubernetes.io/name: project
+    name: {{ include "chart.fullname" . }}-metrics-certs
+    namespace: {{ include "chart.namespaceName" . }}
+spec:
+    dnsNames:
+        - {{ include "chart.serviceName" (dict "suffix" "controller-manager-metrics-service" "context" .) }}.{{ include "chart.namespaceName" . }}.svc
+        - {{ include "chart.serviceName" (dict "suffix" "controller-manager-metrics-service" "context" .) }}.{{ include "chart.namespaceName" . }}.svc.cluster.local
+    issuerRef:
+        kind: Issuer
+        name: {{ include "chart.fullname" . }}-selfsigned-issuer
+    secretName: metrics-server-cert
+{{- end }}

docs/book/src/cronjob-tutorial/testdata/project/dist/chart/templates/cert-manager/selfsigned-issuer.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+{{- if .Values.certManager.enable }}
+apiVersion: cert-manager.io/v1
+kind: Issuer
+metadata:
+    labels:
+        app.kubernetes.io/managed-by: kustomize
+        app.kubernetes.io/name: project
+    name: {{ include "chart.fullname" . }}-selfsigned-issuer
+    namespace: {{ include "chart.namespaceName" . }}
+spec:
+    selfSigned: {}
+{{- end }}

docs/book/src/cronjob-tutorial/testdata/project/dist/chart/templates/cert-manager/serving-cert.yaml

@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+{{- if .Values.certManager.enable }}
+apiVersion: cert-manager.io/v1
+kind: Certificate
+metadata:
+    labels:
+        app.kubernetes.io/managed-by: kustomize
+        app.kubernetes.io/name: project
+    name: {{ include "chart.fullname" . }}-serving-cert
+    namespace: {{ include "chart.namespaceName" . }}
+spec:
+    dnsNames:
+        - {{ include "chart.serviceName" (dict "suffix" "webhook-service" "context" .) }}.{{ include "chart.namespaceName" . }}.svc
+        - {{ include "chart.serviceName" (dict "suffix" "webhook-service" "context" .) }}.{{ include "chart.namespaceName" . }}.svc.cluster.local
+    issuerRef:
+        kind: Issuer
+        name: {{ include "chart.fullname" . }}-selfsigned-issuer
+    secretName: webhook-server-cert
+{{- end }}