# mkubaczyk/helmsman

Helm Charts as Code

Repository: https://github.com/mkubaczyk/helmsman
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/helmsman
Language: Go
License: MIT
License Family: permissive
Topics: helm-charts, k8s-applications, helm, k8s, helmsman, protect-namespaces, k8s-cluster, helm-charts-as-code, kubernetes, git-ops
Last push: 2026-08-26T18:38:36+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 87/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 65, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 3226, "days_push": 7, "days_rel": 237, "gap_med": 16, "n_releases_24m": 8}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1495, forks 179 (observed 2026-08-28T04:04:53.174718+00:00)

## What it is
Helmsman is a Helm Charts as Code tool that lets you describe the desired state of Kubernetes applications in a declarative TOML or YAML file and automates deploying and managing Helm releases from version-controlled code. It validates the desired state, compares it with the cluster's current state, and plans and applies the necessary changes.

## Use cases
- manage helm chart deployments declaratively from git
- automate kubernetes application deployments in ci/cd
- apply helm releases across multiple namespaces in a multitenant cluster
- protect namespaces and releases from accidental changes
- define deployment order and priorities for dependent helm releases
- dry-run and preview a plan before applying helm changes

## When to choose
- you want GitOps-style, version-controlled management of Helm releases without hand-writing helm/kubectl commands
- you need fine-grained namespace/release protection and ordering in multitenant clusters
- you want a portable binary or docker image that works with any k8s cluster and Helm 3/4

## When to avoid
- you prefer full-featured GitOps platforms like Argo CD or Flux with UI and drift reconciliation
- you don't use Helm for Kubernetes deployments
- you need a graphical dashboard for managing releases

## Facets
- artifact type: cli-tool
- maturity: active
- function: deployment, infrastructure-as-code, configuration-management, cli, ci-cd
- domain: cloud-computing, developer-tools
- platform: windows, cli, go
- tags: helm, kubernetes, gitops, helm-charts-as-code, declarative, desired-state, continuous-delivery, devops, containers, automation, linux, macos, docker

## Member repositories
- mkubaczyk/helmsman (main) score 87

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:53.174718+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T04:33:17.896956+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/mkubaczyk/helmsman (fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:53.174718+00:00, sha 5f08fc13b14e)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.