Pushing Charts to an OCI Registry
Using helm push to a registry like GHCR.
Pushing Charts to an OCI Registry is a free Helm Academy lesson on CoddyKit — lesson 4 of 4. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the Helm Academy learning path, one of 4 lessons in the course, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app.
Charts as OCI Artifacts
Modern Helm can store charts in the same registries that hold container images. These are OCI registries, and they need no index.yaml.
Why OCI Over Classic Repos
An OCI registry reuses your existing image infrastructure: one place, one auth model, built-in versioning. No separate static host to maintain.
Stable Since Helm 3.8
OCI support became a stable, default feature in Helm 3.8. On current versions you can push and pull charts with no extra setup flags.
Log In First
Pushing requires credentials. Use helm registry login with the registry host, just as you would authenticate a container registry.
helm registry login ghcr.io -u myuserPackage, Then Push
You still package the chart into a .tgz first. Then helm push uploads that archive to your registry path.
helm package ./mychart
helm push mychart-0.2.0.tgz oci://ghcr.io/myorgThe oci:// Prefix
OCI locations always start with the oci:// scheme. Helm uses it to know the target is a registry, not a classic HTTP chart repo.
oci://ghcr.io/myorgThe Tag Is the Version
Helm pushes the chart under a reference whose tag equals the Chart.yaml version. The chart name becomes the final path segment.
oci://ghcr.io/myorg/mychart:0.2.0Installing From OCI
To install, give the full oci:// reference and pick the version with --version. No helm repo add step is needed.
helm install web oci://ghcr.io/myorg/mychart --version 0.2.0Pulling an OCI Chart
You can also download the archive without installing using helm pull against the OCI reference, handy for inspection or mirroring.
helm pull oci://ghcr.io/myorg/mychart --version 0.2.0Show Values Works Too
OCI references plug into the usual commands. helm show values on an oci:// path lets you read defaults before installing.
helm show values oci://ghcr.io/myorg/mychart --version 0.2.0No Index to Maintain
The big win: with OCI there is no index.yaml to rebuild. The registry tracks versions, so publishing is just package and push.
Quick Check
You want to publish a chart to GHCR as an OCI artifact. Which step do you NOT need?
Recap: Pushing to OCI
You logged in, packaged, and used helm push with the oci:// scheme to publish a chart, then installed it by reference. No index needed. 🚀
Frequently asked questions
Is the “Pushing Charts to an OCI Registry” lesson free?
Yes — the full text of “Pushing Charts to an OCI Registry” is free to read here on the web, and the Helm Academy course includes 4 lessons in total. To practise it interactively (a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor) and unlock the rest of the Helm Academy course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO.
What will I learn in “Pushing Charts to an OCI Registry”?
Using helm push to a registry like GHCR. You practise Helm Academy with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.
Do I need any experience to start Helm Academy?
No prior experience is required. Helm Academy on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners; this is — lesson 4 of 4, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace.
How long does the “Pushing Charts to an OCI Registry” lesson take?
Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.
Can I write and run code in this Helm Academy lesson?
Yes. Every Helm Academy lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.
All lessons in this course
- Bundle a Release Archive with helm package
- Build a Repo Index with helm repo index
- Hosting a Chart Repository
- Pushing Charts to an OCI Registry