Helm release stuck when release name is invalid

[stgrace]

When creating a HelmRelease with an invalid name, for example one that is too long, it can not be deleted anymore without editing the finalizer.

I think if a release can not be created, be it due to an invalid name, the controller should be able to delete the helmrelease without errors or without changing the finalizer of the helmrelease

{"level":"error","ts":"2022-11-07T15:52:05.522Z","msg":"Reconciler error","controller":"helmrelease","controllerGroup":"helm.toolkit.fluxcd.io","controllerKind":"HelmRelease","HelmRelease":{"name":"web-miles-web-sofico-customer-support-design-200-design-221","namespace":"dev-mri"},"namespace":"dev-mri","name":"web-miles-web-sofico-customer-support-design-200-design-221","reconcileID":"50e573ac-4eb7-4996-9046-22deb834e22f","error":"uninstall: Release name is invalid: web-miles-web-sofico-customer-support-design-200-design-221"}
{"level":"error","ts":"2022-11-07T15:52:05.527Z","msg":"Reconciler error","controller":"helmrelease","controllerGroup":"helm.toolkit.fluxcd.io","controllerKind":"HelmRelease","HelmRelease":{"name":"web-miles-web-sofico-fleet-manager-design-200-design-221","namespace":"dev-mri"},"namespace":"dev-mri","name":"web-miles-web-sofico-fleet-manager-design-200-design-221","reconcileID":"769314e2-b798-4af3-bdf6-6ba6f9f19020","error":"uninstall: Release name is invalid: web-miles-web-sofico-fleet-manager-design-200-design-221"}
{"level":"error","ts":"2022-11-07T15:52:05.527Z","msg":"Reconciler error","controller":"helmrelease","controllerGroup":"helm.toolkit.fluxcd.io","controllerKind":"HelmRelease","HelmRelease":{"name":"web-miles-web-sofico-maintenance-design-200-design-221","namespace":"dev-mri"},"namespace":"dev-mri","name":"web-miles-web-sofico-maintenance-design-200-design-221","reconcileID":"c4de392a-cfae-43bc-b467-e7cbc835d6d6","error":"uninstall: Release name is invalid: web-miles-web-sofico-maintenance-design-200-design-221"}

[kingdonb]

This should be caught by the admission controller and prevented when you create your HelmRelease object.

flux-system   flux-system   5m20s   False   HelmRelease/default/bad-podinfo dry-run failed, reason: Invalid, error: HelmRelease.helm.toolkit.fluxcd.io "bad-podinfo" is invalid: spec.releaseName: Invalid value: "web-miles-web-sofico-customer-support-design-200-design-221": spec.releaseName in body should be at most 53 chars long...

Here's the error I get from Kustomize controller when I try to create a HelmRelease as you've described. How did you get it to create that HelmRelease? It should not have got that far.

Could you let us know what version of K8s and Flux you are using? I have attached some commits that tested various permutations of HelmReleases with releaseName around 53 characters, and I have not been able to reproduce this issue.