# Setup Helm

For the Helm labs of this workshop we will be using Helm Version 3. If you are running the labs using the IBM Cloud Shell, we need to complete a couple of setup steps before we proceed. This section is broken up into the following steps:

1. [Access the Cloud Shell](#1-access-the-cloud-shell)
2. [Install Helm Version 3](#2-install-helm-version-3)
3. [Configure Kubectl](#3-configure-kubectl)

## 1. Access the Cloud Shell

If you do not already have it open from the workshop setup section, go ahead and open the Cloud shell.

1. From the [IBM Cloud Home Page](https://cloud.ibm.com), select the terminal icon in the upper lefthand menu.

![Terminal Button](https://3123727693-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-M1Bh2a26msY5M4vW3R9%2Fsync%2F4e3ef8a0e00a226609704936c4ea8ef92ca906ca.png?generation=1591054953731762\&alt=media)

> *Note: Ensure the cloud shell is using the same account where your cluster is provisioned. Ensure that the account name shown in the top right of the screen, next to `Current account` is the correct one.*

## 2. Alias Helm Version 3

The Cloud Shell comes with both Helm 2 and Helm 3 versions. To make sure we use the Helm Version 3 variant, we will create an alias.

1. Run the following commands to install Helm Version 3

```bash
alias helm=helm3
```

```bash
helm version --short
```

The result is that you should have Helm Version 3 installed.

```bash
$ helm version --short
v3.2.1+gfe51cd1
```

## 3. Configure Kubectl

If you have not setup your kubectl to access your cluster, you can do so in the Cloud Shell.

1. Run the `ibmcloud ks clusters` command to verify the terminal and setup for access to the cluster

   ```
   ibmcloud ks clusters
   ```
2. Configure the `kubectl` cli available within the terminal for access to your cluster. If you previously stored your cluster name to an environment variable, use that (ie. `$CLUSTER_NAME`), otherwise copy and paste your cluster name from the previous commands output to the `$CLUSTER_NAME` portion below.

   ```
   ibmcloud ks cluster config --cluster $CLUSTER_NAME
   ```
3. Verify access to the Kubernetes API by getting the namespaces.

   ```
   kubectl get namespace
   ```
4. You should see output similar to the following, if so, then your're ready to continue.

```
NAME              STATUS   AGE
default           Active   125m
ibm-cert-store    Active   121m
ibm-system        Active   124m
kube-node-lease   Active   125m
kube-public       Active   125m
kube-system       Active   125m
```
