`dependencies` ordering

[khteh]

What happened?

I want to helm install customized https://github.com/cloudnative-pg/charts chart and hits a missing-CRDs error. I have the following dependencies defined in Chart.yml:

dependencies:
  - name: cloudnative-pg
    version: "v0.28.0"
    repository: https://cloudnative-pg.github.io/charts
  - name: cluster
    version: "v0.6.0"
    repository: https://cloudnative-pg.github.io/charts

and helm install hits this error:

$ helm install postgresql-cluster PostgreSQL_Cluster/
Error: INSTALLATION FAILED: unable to build kubernetes objects from release manifest: resource mapping not found for name: "postgresql-cluster" namespace: "default" from "": no matches for kind "Cluster" in version "postgresql.cnpg.io/v1"
ensure CRDs are installed first

What did you expect to happen?

helm install the dependencies in listed ordering.

How can we reproduce it (as minimally and precisely as possible)?

helm install this chart: https://github.com/khteh/Kubernetes/tree/master/PostgreSQL/PostgreSQL_Cluster

Helm version

Details

$ helm version
version.BuildInfo{Version:"v3.20.0", GitCommit:"b2e4314fa0f229a1de7b4c981273f61d69ee5a59", GitTreeState:"clean", GoVersion:"go1.25.6"}

Kubernetes version

Details

$ kubectl version
clientVersion:
  buildDate: "2025-12-18T08:37:08Z"
  compiler: gc
  gitCommit: 66452049f3d692768c39c797b21b793dce80314e
  gitTreeState: clean
  gitVersion: v1.35.0
  goVersion: go1.25.5
  major: "1"
  minor: "35"
  platform: linux/amd64
kustomizeVersion: v5.7.1
serverVersion:
  buildDate: "2025-12-18T08:38:08Z"
  compiler: gc
  emulationMajor: "1"
  emulationMinor: "35"
  gitCommit: 66452049f3d692768c39c797b21b793dce80314e
  gitTreeState: clean
  gitVersion: v1.35.0
  goVersion: go1.25.5
  major: "1"
  minCompatibilityMajor: "1"
  minCompatibilityMinor: "34"
  minor: "35"
  platform: linux/amd64

[TerryHowe]

Helm does not install dependencies in sequence, it installs all the charts in two phases (CRDs first and then everything else).

Is it possible helm dependency update was not run? Is it possible the cnpg chart doesn't have the crds in the crd directory?

[khteh]

$ helm dependency update PostgreSQL_Cluster/
Getting updates for unmanaged Helm repositories...
...Successfully got an update from the "https://cloudnative-pg.github.io/charts" chart repository
...Successfully got an update from the "https://cloudnative-pg.github.io/charts" chart repository
Hang tight while we grab the latest from your chart repositories...
...Successfully got an update from the "traefik" chart repository
...Successfully got an update from the "nvidia" chart repository
...Successfully got an update from the "neo4j" chart repository
Update Complete. ⎈Happy Helming!⎈
Saving 2 charts
Downloading cloudnative-pg from repo https://cloudnative-pg.github.io/charts
Downloading cluster from repo https://cloudnative-pg.github.io/charts
Deleting outdated charts
$ helm install --dry-run --debug postgresql-cluster PostgreSQL_Cluster/
install.go:225: 2026-05-14 10:14:34.317602378 +0800 +08 m=+0.030694950 [debug] Original chart version: ""
install.go:242: 2026-05-14 10:14:34.317633231 +0800 +08 m=+0.030725783 [debug] CHART PATH: /usr/src/kubernetes/PostgreSQL/PostgreSQL_Cluster

Error: INSTALLATION FAILED: unable to build kubernetes objects from release manifest: resource mapping not found for name: "postgresql-cluster" namespace: "default" from "": no matches for kind "Cluster" in version "postgresql.cnpg.io/v1"
ensure CRDs are installed first
helm.go:92: 2026-05-14 10:14:35.538359942 +0800 +08 m=+1.251452497 [debug] resource mapping not found for name: "postgresql-cluster" namespace: "default" from "": no matches for kind "Cluster" in version "postgresql.cnpg.io/v1"
ensure CRDs are installed first
unable to build kubernetes objects from release manifest
helm.sh/helm/v3/pkg/action.(*Install).RunWithContext
	helm.sh/helm/v3/pkg/action/install.go:335
main.runInstall
	helm.sh/helm/v3/cmd/helm/install.go:317
main.newInstallCmd.func2
	helm.sh/helm/v3/cmd/helm/install.go:156
github.com/spf13/cobra.(*Command).execute
	github.com/spf13/cobra@v1.10.2/command.go:1015
github.com/spf13/cobra.(*Command).ExecuteC
	github.com/spf13/cobra@v1.10.2/command.go:1148
github.com/spf13/cobra.(*Command).Execute
	github.com/spf13/cobra@v1.10.2/command.go:1071
main.main
	helm.sh/helm/v3/cmd/helm/helm.go:91
runtime.main
	runtime/proc.go:285
runtime.goexit
	runtime/asm_amd64.s:1693
INSTALLATION FAILED
main.newInstallCmd.func2
	helm.sh/helm/v3/cmd/helm/install.go:158
github.com/spf13/cobra.(*Command).execute
	github.com/spf13/cobra@v1.10.2/command.go:1015
github.com/spf13/cobra.(*Command).ExecuteC
	github.com/spf13/cobra@v1.10.2/command.go:1148
github.com/spf13/cobra.(*Command).Execute
	github.com/spf13/cobra@v1.10.2/command.go:1071
main.main
	helm.sh/helm/v3/cmd/helm/helm.go:91
runtime.main
	runtime/proc.go:285
runtime.goexit
	runtime/asm_amd64.s:1693

https://github.com/cloudnative-pg/charts/blob/main/charts/cloudnative-pg/templates/crds/crds.yaml

[TerryHowe]

Yeh, there is no way to force dependency cloudnative-pg to be installed first other than install it first. Dependencies just don't work that way.

[khteh]

Dependencies just don't work that way.

Which way does it work?

[TerryHowe]

You install cloudnative-pg and then install cluster dependencies just don't do ordering.

[khteh]

How to achieve it with helm?