(docs): Add a release guide to the README (#11)

Signed-off-by: Bryce Palmer <[email protected]>

Author: everettraven

README.md

@@ -1,2 +1,93 @@
 # ansible-operator-plugins
 Experimental extraction/refactoring of the Operator SDK's ansible operator plugin 
+
+
+# Releasing Guide
+
+## Pre-Requisites
+- Push access to this repository
+- Forked repository and local clone of fork
+- Remote ref named `upstream` that points to this repository
+
+## Release Prep (Applies to all releases)
+Since this project is currently consumed as a library there are some manual steps that need to take
+place prior to creating a release. They are as follows:
+1. Checkout the `main` branch:
+```sh
+git checkout main
+```
+2. Ensure the `main` branch is up to date:
+```sh
+git fetch upstream && git pull upstream main
+```
+3. Checkout a new branch for release prep work:
+```sh
+git checkout -b release/prep-vX.Y.Z
+```
+4. Update the `ImageVersion` variable in `internal/version/version.go` to be the version you are prepping for release
+5. Update the line with `export IMAGE_VERSION` in `Makefile` to be the version you are prepping for release
+6. Regenerate the testdata:
+```sh
+make generate
+```
+7. Commit and push your changes to your fork
+8. Create a PR against the `main` branch
+
+## Creating Major/Minor Releases
+1. Ensure the steps in [Release Prep](#release-prep-applies-to-all-releases) have been completed. Do **NOT** progress past this point until the release prep PR has merged.
+2. Checkout the `main` branch:
+```sh
+git checkout main
+```
+3. Ensure your local branch is up to date:
+```sh
+git fetch upstream && git pull upstream main
+```
+4. Checkout a new branch for the new release following the pattern `release-vX.Y`. In this example we will create a branch for a `v0.2.0` release:
+```sh
+git checkout -b release-v0.2
+```
+5. Push the newly created release branch:
+```sh
+git push -u upstream release-v0.2
+```
+6. Create a new release tag:
+```sh
+git tag -a -s -m "ansible-operator-plugins release v0.2.0" v0.2.0
+```
+7. Push the new tag:
+```sh
+git push upstream v0.2.0
+```
+
+## Creating Patch Releases
+1. Ensure the steps in [Release Prep](#release-prep-applies-to-all-releases) have been completed. Do **NOT** progress past this point until the release prep PR has merged.
+2. Cherry pick the merged release prep PR to the proper major/minor branch by commenting the following on the PR:
+```
+/cherry-pick release-vX.Y
+```
+where X is the major version and Y is the minor version. An example of cherry picking for a `v0.2.1` release would be:
+```
+/cherry-pick release-v0.2
+```
+3. A bot will have created the cherry pick PR. Merge this. Do **NOT** progress past this point until the cherry pick PR has merged.
+4. Checkout the appropriate release branch. In this example we will be "creating" a `v0.2.1` release:
+```sh
+git checkout release-v0.2
+```
+5. Ensure it is up to date:
+```sh
+git fetch upstream && git pull upstream release-v0.2
+```
+6. Create a new release tag:
+```sh
+git tag -a -s -m "ansible-operator-plugins release v0.2.1" v0.2.1
+```
+7. Push the new tag:
+```sh
+git push upstream v0.2.1
+```
+
+> [!NOTE]
+> While the release process is automated once the tag is pushed it can occasionally timeout.
+> If this happens, re-running the action will re-run the release process and typically succeed.