Andrew Block

Have you ever wondered what it takes to perform a software release of one of the most popular tools in the Kubernetes community? While you may envision a series of complex steps or maybe even some black magic (some of which may be true), the release process is much more organized and streamlined than you may have envisioned. However, until you see it for yourself firsthand, these types of questions will continue to go unfulfilled. Seeing it really is believing it!

Helm introduced full support for storing charts within OCI registries as a distribution method beginning in version 3.8, and while this feature has been available for some time now, there is more underneath the hood than one may realize to make this capability all possible. A number of concepts, working in unison, make it possible to store content aside from traditional container images within OCI registries. This article will explore one of these important concepts, Media Types, their purpose, and how Helm’s own set of Media Types make it possible to extend the storage of charts beyond standard chart repositories to OCI registries.