Windows Helm Diff path issue

[sbugalski]

Hello,

I've just found Helm Diff and installed on my Windows 10 pc using helm plugin install https://github.com/databus23/helm-diff

Calling helm diff from terminal ends like this

helm diff
Error: exec: "C:\\Users\\sb\\AppData\\Roaming\\helm\\plugins\\helm-diff/bin/diff": file does not exist

Helm installed from Chocolatey

helm plugin list
NAME    VERSION DESCRIPTION
diff    3.1.3   Preview helm upgrade changes as a diff


helm version
version.BuildInfo{Version:"v3.7.1", GitCommit:"1d11fcb5d3f3bf00dbe6fe31b8412839a96b3dc4", GitTreeState:"clean", GoVersion:"go1.16.9"}

[srilumpa]

I also have the following error while installing the plugin in version 3.1.3:

> helm plugin install https://github.com/databus23/helm-diff
Error: exec: "sh": executable file not found in %PATH%

This is related to helm/helm#7117.

[srilumpa]

To install the help-diff plugin on Windows:

1. download the latest release built for Windows (currently: version 3.1.3)
2. extract the archive
3. copy the content of the diff extracted folder to $APPDATA$\helm\plugins\helm-diff
4. check if its properly recognized by helm using helm.exe diff version (for example)

[DaWy]

To install the help-diff plugin on Windows:

1. download the latest release built for Windows (currently: version 3.1.3)
2. extract the archive
3. copy the content of the diff extracted folder to $APPDATA$\helm\plugins\helm-diff
4. check if its properly recognized by helm using helm.exe diff version (for example)

Not working for me. Its saying the same as OP:

[srilumpa]

That's because there is a space in your path. Check your helm configuration or the plugin's one to identify and fix the issue, but I don't know how to do this

[mumoshu]

As @srilumpa has mentioned in the prev comment, helm/helm#7117 seems to indicate that helm plugins isn't supported on Windows (yet).

In the meantime, you would be able to run the plugin directly, by cloning the repo and running go build . to build a executable named helm-diff, which can be run directly by providing some envvars that are normally populated by helm, like

HELM_NAMESPACE=default HELM_BIN=helm ./helm-diff upgrade -h

Let me close this as answered and there isn't actionable from the helm-diff side. But please feel free to report back here if the direct run workaround doesn't work.

[alastairs]

I had a need to run helm-diff as part of a helmfile deployment, which wasn't able to use the direct run workaround. I was able to resolve this by copying the built helm-diff.exe to %APPDATA%\helm\plugins\helm-diff\bin\diff.exe. YMMV.

I don't really understand all the moving parts here, but given a Windows build is published in the latest release and other helm plugins have managed to support Windows installation (e.g. helm-secrets) via helm plugin install, perhaps this plugin could too?

[plain5]

My workaround

• Install helm-diff using the helm plugin command (do not pay attention to the output errors) :

helm plugin install https://github.com/databus23/helm-diff

• Navigate to the C:\Users\YOUR_USER\AppData\Roaming\helm\plugins\helm-diff and manually create the bin folder.

• Download desired release for Windows and extract from the archive diff.exe.

• Move extracted diff.exe inside the C:\Users\YOUR_USER\AppData\Roaming\helm\plugins\helm-diff\bin folder.

• Run helm diff to verify all work well.

• Happy Diffing!

[rami-foo]

I think the support has been added recently so can the plugin add the windows support too?

[yxxhero]

ok