Configuration

Squadron is configured with one or more YAML files (default: squadron.yaml), schema version 2.3. Values support Go templating with <% %> delimiters — see Core Concepts.

You can pass several files with repeated -f flags; they are merged in order, with later files overriding earlier ones.

Top-level structure

# yaml-language-server: $schema=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/foomo/squadron/refs/heads/main/squadron.schema.json
version: '2.3'        # required, schema version

vars: { }             # template variables, available as <% .Vars.* %>
global: { }           # Helm global values shared across units

builds: { }           # reusable top-level builds, referenced by units
bake: ''             # path/override for the generated buildx bake file

squadron: # the squadrons → units tree
  <squadron>:
    <unit>:
      ...

Field	Type	Description
version	string	Schema version. Required. Currently 2.3.
vars	map	Template variables, referenced as <% .Vars.x %>.
global	map	Helm global values merged into every unit.
builds	map	Shared build definitions units can reference.
bake	string	Override for the generated buildx bake file.
squadron	map	The squadrons, each containing units.

Unit

squadron:
  storefinder:
    backend:
      name: my-backend          # optional release name (default: unit name)
      namespace: my-namespace   # optional target namespace
      priority: 0               # higher is installed first
      tags: [ web, api ]          # filter labels for --tags (matched with OR)
      extends: ./defaults.yaml  # merge values from an external file
      kustomize: ./kustomize    # path to Kustomize resources
      helmArgs: [ --skip-crds ]   # extra helm flags for this unit
      chart: ...                # Helm chart (see below)
      builds: ...               # docker build targets (see below)
      bakes: ...                # docker buildx bake targets (see below)
      values: { }                # Helm values for the chart

Field	Type	Description
chart	string/map	Chart to deploy. Inline path string, or a chart map.
values	map	Helm values passed to the chart.
builds	map	Named docker build targets.
bakes	map	Named docker buildx bake targets.
tags	list	Labels used by --tags filtering (ORed; - excludes).
priority	int	Install ordering; higher comes first.
name	string	Override the Helm release name.
namespace	string	Override the target namespace.
extends	string	File whose values are merged into this unit.
kustomize	string	Path to Kustomize resources.
helmArgs	list	Extra helm flags for this unit (see below).

helmArgs

helmArgs is a raw pass-through of additional flags to the underlying helm invocation, scoped to a single unit. Use it when a flag should apply to one unit rather than the whole squadron — which is what the command line -- pass-through (squadron up -- --skip-crds) would do.

squadron:
  storefinder:
    backend:
      helmArgs:
        - --skip-crds
        - --no-hooks
        - --timeout=<% env "HELM_TIMEOUT" | default "5m" %>

Notes:

• Applies to squadron up, squadron diff and squadron template. It is not passed to down, rollback or status, which reject most of these flags.
• Flags are not validated — passing one the target helm subcommand does not accept makes helm fail.
• Args from the command line -- pass-through are appended after these, so they win: a unit setting --skip-crds can be overridden with squadron up -- --skip-crds=false.
• Note that helm upgrade never installs CRDs, so --skip-crds only has an effect on the initial install and on squadron template.
• Values are rendered as Go templates like the rest of the config.

Chart

chart can be an inline path string:

chart: <% env "PROJECT_ROOT" %>/path/to/chart

…or a structured reference to a packaged chart:

chart:
  name: mychart
  version: 0.1.0
  repository: https://helm.mycompany.com/repository
  alias: my-alias       # optional
  schema: ./values.schema.json   # optional values schema

Builds

Each entry under builds is a docker build target. Common fields:

builds:
  default:
    image: docker.mycompany.com/mycompany/backend
    tag: latest
    context: <% env "PROJECT_ROOT" %>/app
    dockerfile: <% env "PROJECT_ROOT" %>/Dockerfile
    buildArg:
      - "FOO=foo"
    platform:
      - linux/amd64
    target: production

Builds expose the full docker build / Buildx option surface — including platform, target, secret, ssh, cacheFrom/cacheTo, provenance, sbom, output, and push. See squadron build.

Bakes

Each entry under bakes is a docker buildx bake target, mapping to the HCL bake schema:

bakes:
  service:
    tags:
      - docker.mycompany.com/mycompany/frontend:latest
    dockerfile: Dockerfile
    context: .
    args:
      FOO: foo
    platforms:
      - linux/amd64
      - linux/arm64
    inherits:
      - base

Bake targets support inherits, contexts, cacheFrom/cacheTo, secret, ssh, outputs, and the other Buildx bake attributes. See squadron bake.

JSON schema

The full machine-readable schema lives at squadron.schema.json and can be regenerated with squadron schema. Add the language-server hint shown above to get autocompletion and validation in your editor.