# Install helmsman with Homebrew, Nix, zypper Helm Charts as Code tool. Version 4.0.5 via Homebrew; verified 2026-05-18. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:helmsman ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install helmsman ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#helmsman ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/he/helmsman/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install helmsman ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: helmsman from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:helmsman - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 4.0.5 - **Source summary:** Helm Charts as Code tool - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** MIT - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-05-18T22:37:09Z - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - helmsman (cli) - helmsman (alias) ## Dependencies - helm - kubernetes-cli ## Build dependencies - go ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 4.0.5 - Package-manager updated: 2026-05-18 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/mkubaczyk/helmsman - Upstream latest detected: v4.0.5 (current) ## Project history and usage Helmsman is a 'Helm Charts as Code' CLI for managing Helm releases from a declarative desired state file. It plans, validates, and applies a set of chart releases, using Helm and Kubernetes tooling underneath. ### Project history The `mkubaczyk/helmsman` repository was created in 2017 and early releases followed quickly, with a 0.1.0 release in November 2017 and a 1.0.0 release in March 2018. The README describes the tool as a way to automate deployment and management of Helm charts from version-controlled code. Helmsman uses a desired state file, originally centered on TOML and also accepting YAML, to define repositories, namespaces, releases, protection settings, and execution order. Its README emphasizes plan/view/apply behavior, idempotency, namespace and release protection, priority ordering, and parallel execution. The README records a stewardship change from Praqma, later Eficode, to the maintainers of the `mkubaczyk/helmsman` repository. Later documentation distinguishes Helmsman major lines by Helm compatibility, with v1.x for Helm 2 and v4.x for Helm 3 and Helm 4. ### Adoption history Helmsman gained attention in the same era as Helmfile: Kubernetes users had many Helm charts to deploy, but wanted a declarative file and a plan step instead of shell scripts full of `helm install` commands. Its packaging through Homebrew and other distributions reflects use as a local or CI command-line deployment tool. ### How it is used Users run `helmsman -f example.toml` to plan, `helmsman --apply -f example.toml` to execute, and flags such as `--dry-run`, `--debug`, and `--target` to inspect or limit changes. A binary install expects `kubectl`, `helm`, and for many versions the `helm-diff` plugin. The tool can run as a binary, as a container in CI, or as a container inside a Kubernetes cluster. Its value is strongest where release ordering, namespace protection, and repeated idempotent application matter. ### Why package nerds care Helmsman is part of the Helm wrapper generation that treated Kubernetes releases as package sets. For package-minded operators, its desired-state file is the manifest of packages, while Helm remains the lower-level package manager. The explicit major-line mapping to Helm 2, Helm 3, and Helm 4 makes it a good example of a wrapper whose own packaging has to track another package manager's compatibility surface. ### Timeline - 2017: The `mkubaczyk/helmsman` repository was created and 0.1.0 was released. - 2018: Helmsman v1.0.0 was published. - 2025: Helmsman v4.0.0 was published with documentation for Helm 3 and Helm 4 support. ### Related projects - Helm is the chart manager Helmsman orchestrates. - kubectl is a runtime prerequisite for binary use. - helm-diff is listed by the README as a required plugin for Helmsman versions from 1.6.0 onward. ### Sources - - - - - ## Security Notes No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for helmsman. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL. ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** helmsman - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Nix - helmsman: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/he/helmsman/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - zypper - helmsman - 3.17.1-1.5: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: helmsman from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Helm Charts as Code | https://github.com/Praqma/helmsman ## Related links - [Cloud CLI packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/cloud-clis/) - Belongs to a cloud or infrastructure command family. - [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [helm](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/helm/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [kubernetes-cli](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/kubernetes-cli/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [go](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/go/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [helmfile](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/helmfile/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cloud-infrastructure, deployment, devops, helm. - [nelm](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/nelm/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cloud-infrastructure, deployment, helm, kubernetes. - [krane](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/krane/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cloud-infrastructure, deployment, kubernetes. - [chaoskube](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/chaoskube/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cloud-infrastructure, helm, kubernetes. - [cozyhr](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cozyhr/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cloud-infrastructure, helm, kubernetes. - [devspace](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/devspace/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cloud-infrastructure, devops, kubernetes. - [fleet-cli](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fleet-cli/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, cloud-infrastructure, helm, kubernetes. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/helmsman.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/helmsman.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph