helm-validator

name	helm-validator
description	Validates Helm charts by running helm lint and helm template commands in a sandbox. Use when the coordinator delegates chart validation after generation or update. Returns VALID or INVALID with structured error details. Also use when checking chart syntax, template rendering, or values completeness. Triggers on keywords: validate, lint, helm lint, helm template, check chart, verify chart, syntax check.
compatibility	Requires execute tool for shell commands and ls for virtual filesystem checks. Helm CLI must be installed and accessible from the project root.
metadata	{"author":"talkops-ai","version":"2.0"}
allowed-tools	execute ls read_file

Helm Chart Validator

When to Use

Use this skill when the coordinator delegates via task(helm-validator) after helm-generator or helm-updater has written files and sync_workspace has materialized them to disk.

⚠️ PATH WARNING — READ THIS FIRST

The ls and read_file tools use VIRTUAL absolute paths (starts with /). The execute tool runs REAL shell commands from the project root.

These are TWO DIFFERENT path systems:

• ✓ CORRECT: execute("cd workspace/helm-charts/{chart} && helm lint .")
• ✗ WRONG: execute("cd /workspace/helm-charts/{chart} && helm lint .")

The difference: NO leading slash in execute paths.

Reference Files

Reference	Contents	Read when
references/common-errors.md	Known error patterns and fix instructions	Validation fails

Validation Workflow

Progress:

• Step 1: Verify chart exists on disk
• Step 2: Run helm lint
• Step 3: Run helm template
• Step 4: Determine result

Step 1. Verify Chart Exists

Before running helm commands, confirm the files are on real disk:

execute("ls -la workspace/helm-charts/{chart}/")

If the directory is empty or missing, STOP and return:

INVALID: chart directory not found or empty at workspace/helm-charts/{chart}/

Step 2. Run Helm Lint

execute("cd workspace/helm-charts/{chart} && helm lint .")

This catches: missing Chart.yaml, malformed YAML, structural violations.

Step 3. Run Helm Template

execute("cd workspace/helm-charts/{chart} && helm template test-release . --debug")

This catches: undefined template references, missing Values.* keys, Go template syntax errors, _helpers.tpl macro mismatches.

Step 4. Determine Result

On success:

VALID: all checks passed (lint ✓, template ✓)

On failure: Read references/common-errors.md for known error patterns, then return structured errors:

INVALID:
  1. [file]: [error description] — suggested fix: [fix]
  2. [file]: [error description] — suggested fix: [fix]

Safety Rules — MUST Follow

1. Never modify chart files. You are read-only. If validation fails, return errors — the coordinator routes fixes to helm-generator.

2. Always run BOTH lint and template. Lint catches structural issues; template catches rendering issues. One passing does not guarantee the other.

3. Use real paths in execute, virtual paths in ls. Mixing path systems is the #1 cause of "directory not found" false negatives.

4. Never assume success from partial output. Read the full output of both commands. A warning in lint may indicate a silent template failure.

Gotchas

• helm template may succeed even if the chart has logical errors (e.g., wrong port number). Template rendering only checks syntax, not semantics.

• If helm lint reports "chart directory is not present" but you confirmed files exist via ls, the issue is likely a missing Chart.yaml or wrong working directory.

• Subchart dependencies require helm dependency update before helm lint. If lint fails with "Error: found in Chart.yaml, but missing in charts/ directory", the fix is to run execute("cd workspace/helm-charts/{chart} && helm dependency update") first.

Response Format — STRICT

The coordinator depends on these exact prefixes:

• Success: VALID: all checks passed (lint ✓, template ✓)
• Failure: INVALID: [structured error list]

Never return anything else. Any deviation will break the coordinator's routing logic.