Where Does Helm Store Repos and Cache?
Where Helm keeps config, cache, and data (repos, plugins, chart cache) on each desktop OS.
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Helm splits state three ways per the XDG spec: config for repositories and settings, cache for downloaded charts, data for plugins. Env vars (HELM_CONFIG_HOME, HELM_CACHE_HOME, HELM_DATA_HOME) relocate each root.
Defaults sit under ~/.config/helm, ~/.cache/helm, and ~/.local/share/helm on Linux and macOS, with LocalAppData equivalents on Windows. Back up the config dir for repo lists; the rest re-downloads.
Where Helm stores this, by platform
~/.config/helm/
repositories.yaml plus registry config. Cache in ~/.cache/helm, plugins in ~/.local/share/helm/plugins. Override each root with HELM_*_HOME vars.
%LOCALAPPDATA%\helm\
Same three-way split under the user profile. Exact LocalAppData names follow the Helm version; check helm env for live paths.
~/.config/helm/
Same layout as Linux. Homebrew and pkg installs share these defaults; helm env prints the live roots.
Frequently asked questions
How do I clear the Helm chart cache?
Delete the relevant subfolder under cache (charts, registry) while keeping config/repositories.yaml so sources stay registered. Next pull re-downloads. Never hand-edit files under cache; they are checksummed state, not config.
Where are Helm plugins?
Plugins live in the data dir (plugins/ beside registries). List with helm plugin list, remove with helm plugin uninstall. Config stays in the config dir, so plugin cleanup never touches repository definitions.
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