kubernetes-sigs / kubernetes-sigs/kustomize

Missing --enable-helm when running kustomize localize

Open
#6,166 2 comments 3 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub
kind/feature needs-triage
Dominant language
Go
Stars
12.2k
Forks
2.4k
Avg merge
2d 14h
Merged PRs (30d)
25

Description

### Eschewed features

- [x] This issue is not requesting templating, unstuctured edits, build-time side-effects from args or env vars, or any other eschewed feature.

### What would you like to have added?

I'm missing being able to set `--enable-helm` when running `kustomize localize` as i can do that with `kustomize build`.

Instead i get errors like this:
```
16:17 $ kustomize localize .
# Warning: 'commonLabels' is deprecated. Please use 'labels' instead. Run 'kustomize edit fix' to update your Kustomization automatically.
2026/06/16 16:19:25 If your target directory requires flags to build:
1. Add executable permissions for the downloaded exec binaries in '.'.
2. Run kustomize build with the necessary flags and self-verify the outputs.
name: nats
namespace: test
releaseName: nats
repo: https://nats-io.github.io/k8s/helm/charts/
valuesFile: values.yaml
version: 2.12.2
`: must specify --enable-helm
```

### Why is this needed?

I have a remote base that has a helm chart i want to inflate.

### Can you accomplish the motivating task without this feature, and if so, how?

Not without rebuilding my remote base in ways that i don't want to.

### What other solutions have you considered?

There might be an environment variable that sets this without the parameter perhaps?

### Anything else we should know?

_No response_

### Feature ownership

- [x] I am interested in contributing this feature myself! 🎉

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Start at the `kustomize localize` command entry point and compare how `kustomize build` handles the `--enable-helm` flag. The work is complete when `localize` accepts that flag and can process a remote base containing a Helm chart without the shown error.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
go, helm
Domain
cli
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
3/5
Estimated time
1-2 days
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
55/100

Get new issues in your inbox

A short digest of beginner-friendly GitHub issues.