---
title: "Helm"
description: "Quick-start guide for installing Pangolin on Kubernetes using Helm."
---

<Warning>
The Pangolin Helm chart is currently alpha (`0.1.0-alpha.0`). Test installs and upgrades in a non-production environment before using the chart for production traffic.
</Warning>

## What Pangolin deploys

The Pangolin Helm chart deploys the Pangolin control plane and related Kubernetes components.

Depending on the selected values, the chart can deploy:

- **Pangolin application**: dashboard, API, authentication, configuration, and application state.
- **pangolin-kube-controller**: Kubernetes controller used in controller mode.
- **Gerbil**: WireGuard tunnel manager used by the Pangolin tunnel stack.
- **Traefik integration**: Traefik CRD-based routing in controller mode, bundled Traefik controller when enabled, or standalone Traefik mode.
- **Database backend**: CloudNativePG, external PostgreSQL, embedded PostgreSQL, or SQLite.

See [Version Matrix](https://github.com/fosrl/helm-charts/VERSION_MATRIX.md) for chart and default app version references.

## Gerbil setup in the Pangolin chart

This chart deploys Gerbil when `gerbil.enabled=true`. This is the default when using `deployment.type=controller` and recommended.

<Info>
If Gerbil is exposed through a reverse proxy or UDP gateway, keep proxy protocol settings aligned end-to-end. Do not enable proxy protocol on the upstream hop unless Gerbil is configured to accept it.
</Info>

## Prerequisites

Before installing Pangolin, you need:

- Kubernetes `1.30.14` or newer.
- Helm 3.x.
- `kubectl` access to the target cluster.
- A namespace prepared for the install.
- A StorageClass if you use chart-managed persistent storage.
- DNS records for the Pangolin dashboard and tunnel endpoint.
- Traefik CRDs and a Traefik controller when using `deployment.type=controller`.
- A database plan: CloudNativePG, external PostgreSQL, embedded PostgreSQL, or SQLite.

See [Prerequisites](/self-host/manual/kubernetes/prerequisites) for detailed cluster, namespace, storage, networking, and security requirements.

## Recommended quick install

This quick install uses:

- `deployment.type=controller`
- `deployment.mode=multi`
- `database.mode=cloudnativepg`
- chart-managed CloudNativePG operator and cluster
- chart-managed dashboard `IngressRoute`
- Traefik cert resolver for TLS

<Note>
This example assumes a Traefik controller is available and can process the chart-managed `IngressRoute`. If you want the chart to install the bundled Traefik controller, set `deployment.installTraefikController=true`.
</Note>

### Step 1: Create the namespace

Create the namespace before installing the chart:

```bash
kubectl create namespace pangolin
```

Gerbil requires `NET_ADMIN` for WireGuard interface management. If your cluster enforces Pod Security Admission, label the namespace accordingly:

```bash
kubectl label namespace pangolin \
  pod-security.kubernetes.io/enforce=privileged \
  pod-security.kubernetes.io/warn=baseline \
  pod-security.kubernetes.io/audit=restricted \
  --overwrite
```

<Warning>
Do not use a restricted Pod Security profile for a namespace running Gerbil unless you have validated the selected chart mode. Gerbil requires `NET_ADMIN` for WireGuard.
</Warning>

### Step 2: Create a Pangolin app secret

Create a Secret for `SERVER_SECRET`:

```bash
kubectl create secret generic pangolin-app-secret \
  --namespace pangolin \
  --from-literal=SERVER_SECRET='<strong-random-secret>'
```

Use a long random value. Do not commit this secret to Git.

### Step 3: Create a values file

Create `values-pangolin.yaml`:

```yaml
deployment:
  type: controller
  mode: multi
  installTraefikController: false

database:
  mode: cloudnativepg
  cloudnativepg:
    cluster:
      name: pangolin-db

cnpg-operator:
  enabled: true

cnpg-cluster:
  enabled: true
  fullnameOverride: pangolin-db
  cluster:
    instances: 1
    storage:
      size: 8Gi

pangolin:
  secret:
    existingSecretName: pangolin-app-secret
    existingSecretKey: SERVER_SECRET

  config:
    app:
      dashboard_url: https://pangolin.example.com
    domains:
      domain1:
        base_domain: example.com
        cert_resolver: letsencrypt
    gerbil:
      base_endpoint: vpn.example.com
      start_port: 51820
      clients_start_port: 21820
    traefik:
      enabled: true
      http_entrypoint: web
      https_entrypoint: websecure
      cert_resolver: letsencrypt

  ingressRoute:
    dashboard:
      enabled: true
      host: pangolin.example.com
      entryPoints:
        - websecure
      tls:
        enabled: true
        certResolver: letsencrypt
        secretName: ""

gerbil:
  enabled: true
  startupMode: delayed
  persistence:
    enabled: true
    size: 1Gi
```

Important points:

* Replace `pangolin.example.com`, `example.com`, and `vpn.example.com`.
* Keep `pangolin.config.gerbil.start_port` aligned with `gerbil.ports.wg1`.
* Keep `pangolin.config.gerbil.clients_start_port` aligned with `gerbil.ports.wg2`.
* Use `gerbil.startupMode=delayed` for the first install if Gerbil should not start before the initial Pangolin setup is complete.

The chart defaults to `deployment.type=controller`, `deployment.mode=multi`, `database.mode=cloudnativepg`, and NetworkPolicy rendering enabled. Gerbil `startupMode` supports `normal`, `delayed`, and `disabledUntilSetup`. ([GitHub][1])

### Step 4: Install Pangolin

Add the Helm repository:

```bash
helm repo add fossorial https://charts.fossorial.io
helm repo update fossorial
```

Install Pangolin:

```bash
helm upgrade --install pangolin fossorial/pangolin \
  --namespace pangolin \
  --values values-pangolin.yaml
```

Do not use `--create-namespace` here. The namespace was created and labeled before installation.

### Step 5: Verify the deployment

Check Helm release status:

```bash
helm status pangolin --namespace pangolin
helm history pangolin --namespace pangolin
```

Check workloads:

```bash
kubectl get pods --namespace pangolin
kubectl get deploy,statefulset --namespace pangolin
```

Check Services:

```bash
kubectl get svc --namespace pangolin
```

Check Traefik `IngressRoute` resources:

```bash
kubectl get ingressroute --namespace pangolin
```

If Traefik CRDs are not installed, this command will fail. In that case, install Traefik CRDs or enable/install the Traefik controller path required by your selected deployment mode.

Wait for the Pangolin pod to become ready:

```bash
kubectl wait --for=condition=ready pod \
  -l app.kubernetes.io/name=pangolin \
  --namespace pangolin \
  --timeout=300s
```

## Accessing the dashboard

After DNS and Traefik routing are configured, access Pangolin through the dashboard URL:

```text
https://pangolin.example.com
```

The API route is exposed under:

```text
https://pangolin.example.com/api/v1
```

<Tip>
For a temporary local check, port-forward the dashboard/UI port:

```bash
kubectl port-forward --namespace pangolin svc/pangolin 8080:3002
```

Then open:

```text
http://localhost:8080
```

</Tip>

The chart routes `/api/v1` to the Pangolin external/API port and the dashboard route to the Next/UI port. The default service ports are `3000` for external/API and `3002` for the dashboard/UI. ([GitHub][1])

## Switch Gerbil to normal startup

If you installed with `gerbil.startupMode=delayed`, switch Gerbil to normal mode after the initial setup is complete:

```bash
helm upgrade pangolin fossorial/pangolin \
  --namespace pangolin \
  --reuse-values \
  --set gerbil.startupMode=normal
```

Check Gerbil resources:

```bash
kubectl get pods,svc,pvc --namespace pangolin \
  -l app.kubernetes.io/name=gerbil
```

## Upgrade

Update the Helm repository:

```bash
helm repo update fossorial
```

Upgrade the release:

```bash
helm upgrade pangolin fossorial/pangolin \
  --namespace pangolin \
  --values values-pangolin.yaml
```

Check upgrade status:

```bash
helm status pangolin --namespace pangolin
helm history pangolin --namespace pangolin
```

Rollback if needed:

```bash
helm rollback pangolin <revision> --namespace pangolin
```

## OCI install

The Pangolin chart is also published as an OCI chart in GHCR.

Pull the chart:

```bash
helm pull oci://ghcr.io/fosrl/helm-charts/pangolin \
  --version 0.1.0-alpha.0
```

Install from OCI:

```bash
helm upgrade --install pangolin oci://ghcr.io/fosrl/helm-charts/pangolin \
  --version 0.1.0-alpha.0 \
  --namespace pangolin \
  --values values-pangolin.yaml
```

OCI changes where Helm pulls the chart from. It does not change the values file or the release behavior.

## Architecture overview

Recommended deployment mode:

```yaml
deployment:
  type: controller
  mode: multi
```

In this topology:

| Component                  | Role                                                                 |
| -------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Pangolin                   | Main application, dashboard, API, authentication, and configuration. |
| pangolin-kube-controller   | Reconciles dynamic Kubernetes and Traefik CRD configuration.         |
| Gerbil                     | WireGuard tunnel manager for Pangolin sites.                         |
| Traefik                    | Routes dashboard, API, and site traffic.                             |
| CloudNativePG / PostgreSQL | Stores Pangolin application state.                                   |

Database modes:

| Mode            | Use case                                            |
| --------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| `cloudnativepg` | Recommended Kubernetes production path.             |
| `external`      | Production path with externally managed PostgreSQL. |
| `embedded`      | Lab or test setups.                                 |
| `sqlite`        | Development or CI only.                             |

The chart supports `cloudnativepg`, `external`, `embedded`, and `sqlite` database modes. The chart comments mark `cloudnativepg` as the preferred production mode and SQLite as development/test only. ([GitHub][1])

## Chart signing

The chart metadata includes Artifact Hub signing information:

```text
Fingerprint: 48E7F670FCC13645FC48B08D587294B228C2EC2C
Public key: https://charts.fossorial.io/pgp_keys.asc
```

Use this metadata when verifying signed chart releases. The signing key and fingerprint are published in the chart annotations. ([GitHub][2])

## References

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Chart README" href="https://github.com/fosrl/helm-charts/blob/main/charts/pangolin/README.md" icon="book" />
  <Card title="values.yaml" href="https://github.com/fosrl/helm-charts/blob/main/charts/pangolin/values.yaml" icon="file-code" />
  <Card title="values.schema.json" href="https://github.com/fosrl/helm-charts/blob/main/charts/pangolin/values.schema.json" icon="file-code" />
  <Card title="Examples" href="https://github.com/fosrl/helm-charts/tree/main/charts/pangolin/examples" icon="list-check" />
  <Card title="Issues" href="https://github.com/fosrl/helm-charts/issues" icon="circle-question" />
</CardGroup>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
	<Card title="Full Configuration" href="/self-host/manual/kubernetes/pangolin/configuration" icon="sliders">
		Review Pangolin chart options.
	</Card>
	<Card title="Troubleshooting" href="/self-host/manual/kubernetes/pangolin/troubleshooting" icon="circle-question">
		Debug Pangolin deployment and routing issues.
	</Card>
	<Card title="Kustomize Install" href="/self-host/manual/kubernetes/pangolin/kustomize" icon="layer-group">
		Install Pangolin with rendered manifests and Kustomize overlays.
	</Card>
	<Card title="GitOps" href="/self-host/manual/kubernetes/gitops/overview" icon="code-branch">
		Deploy Pangolin with Argo CD or Flux.
	</Card>
</CardGroup>