---
url: https://ws.kloudkit.com/tools/helm.md
description: >-
  Helm comes pre-installed in Kloud Workspace with auto-completion, the helm
  diff plugin, and Kubernetes VS Code extensions, ready to use.
---

# Helm

![Helm logo](/icons/helm.svg){.doc-image width=200px}

Kloud Workspace comes pre-installed with `helm`, auto-completion, the `helm diff` plugin,
and VS Code extensions for Kubernetes *(which integrates with Helm)*, all ready to use
right out of the box.

## Persisting Configurations

Kloud Workspace runs in a Docker container, so any custom Helm configurations, such as
added repositories and credentials, will not automatically persist after the container
stops.

To retain these configurations across workspace restarts or updates:

1. **Mount a Volume for Your Helm Directory:**
   By default, Helm stores configuration files in `~/.config/helm`.
   Mounting a volume or bind-mount to this location ensures your repositories,
   credentials, and related files remain intact even if the container is re-created.

2. **Use the `WS_HELM_PRELOAD_CACHE` Environment Variable:**
   You can streamline the process of autoloading Helm’s repository cache by setting the
   `WS_HELM_PRELOAD_CACHE` environment variable.
   This causes the workspace to automatically load your cached repos whenever it starts.

```sh
docker run \
  -e WS_HELM_PRELOAD_CACHE=1 \
  -v helm:/home/kloud/.config/helm \
  ghcr.io/kloudkit/workspace:v0.4.0
```