docs: create release checklist on main (notaryproject#443)

Signed-off-by: Patrick Zheng <[email protected]>

RELEASE_CHECKLIST.md

@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+# Release Checklist
+
+## Overview
+
+This document describes the checklist to publish a release for notation-go.
+
+## Release Process from main
+
+1. Check if there are any security vulnerabilities fixed and security advisories published before a release. Security advisories should be linked on the release notes.
+2. Determine a [SemVer2](https://semver.org/)-valid version prefixed with the letter `v` for release. For example, `version="v1.0.0-rc.1"`.
+3. If there is new release in [notation-core-go](https://github.com/notaryproject/notation-core-go) library that are required to be upgraded in notation-go, update the dependency versions in the follow `go.mod` and `go.sum` files of notation-go:
+    - [go.mod](go.mod), [go.sum](go.sum)
+4. Open a bump up PR and submit the changes in step 3 to the notation-go repository.
+5. After PR from step 4 is merged. Create another PR to update the value of `signingAgent` defined in file [signer/signer.go](signer/signer.go) with `notation-go/<version>`, where `<version>` is `$version` from step 2 without the `v` prefix. For example, `notation-go/1.0.0-rc.1`. The commit message MUST follow the [conventional commit](https://www.conventionalcommits.org/en/v1.0.0/) and could be `bump: release $version`. Record the digest of that commit as `<commit_digest>`. This PR is also used for voting purpose of the new release. Add the link of change logs and repo-level maintainer list in the PR's description. The PR title could be `bump: release $version`. Make sure to reach a majority of approvals from the [repo-level maintainers](MAINTAINERS) before merging it. This PR MUST be merged using [Create a merge commit](https://docs.github.com/en/repositories/configuring-branches-and-merges-in-your-repository/configuring-pull-request-merges/about-merge-methods-on-github) method in GitHub.
+6. After the voting PR is merged, execute `git clone https://github.com/notaryproject/notation-go.git` to clone the repository to your local file system.
+7. Enter the cloned repository and execute `git checkout <commit_digest>` to switch to the specified branch based on the voting result.
+8. Create a tag by running `git tag -am $version $version -s`.
+9. Run `git tag` and ensure the desired tag name in the list looks correct, then push the new tag directly to the repository by running `git push origin $version`.
+10. On notation-go GitHub page, goto [Tags](https://github.com/notaryproject/notation-go/tags). Your newly pushed tag should be shown on the top. Create a new release from the tag. Generate the release notes, revise the release description and change logs, and publish the release.
+11. Announce the new release in the Notary Project community.
+
+## Release Process from a release branch
+
+1. Check if there are any security vulnerabilities fixed and security advisories published before a release. Security advisories should be linked on the release notes.
+2. Determine a [SemVer2](https://semver.org/)-valid version prefixed with the letter `v` for release. For example, `version="v1.2.0-rc.1"`.
+3. If a new release branch is needed, from main branch's [commit list](https://github.com/notaryproject/notation-go/commits/main/), find the commit that you want to cut the release. Click `<>` (Browse repository at this point). Create branch with name `release-<version>` from the commit, where `<version>` is `$version` from step 2 with the major and minor versions only. For example `release-1.2`. If the release branch already exists, skip this step.
+4. If there is new release in [notation-core-go](https://github.com/notaryproject/notation-core-go) library that are required to be upgraded in notation-go, update the dependency versions in the follow `go.mod` and `go.sum` files of notation-go:
+    - [go.mod](go.mod), [go.sum](go.sum)
+5. Open a bump up PR and submit the changes in step 4 to the release branch. 
+6. After PR from step 5 is merged. Create another PR to update the value of `signingAgent` defined in file `signer/signer.go` with `notation-go/<version>`, where `<version>` is `$version` from step 2 without the `v` prefix. For example, `notation-go/1.2.0-rc.1`. The commit message MUST follow the [conventional commit](https://www.conventionalcommits.org/en/v1.0.0/) and could be `bump: release $version`. Record the digest of that commit as `<commit_digest>`. This PR is also used for voting purpose of the new release. Add the link of change logs and repo-level maintainer list in the PR's description. The PR title could be `bump: release $version`. Make sure to reach a majority of approvals from the [repo-level maintainers](MAINTAINERS) before merging it. This PR MUST be merged using [Create a merge commit](https://docs.github.com/en/repositories/configuring-branches-and-merges-in-your-repository/configuring-pull-request-merges/about-merge-methods-on-github) method in GitHub.
+7. After the voting PR is merged, execute `git clone https://github.com/notaryproject/notation-go.git` to clone the repository to your local file system.
+8. Enter the cloned repository and execute `git checkout <commit_digest>` to switch to the specified branch based on the voting result.
+9. Create a tag by running `git tag -am $version $version -s`.
+10. Run `git tag` and ensure the desired tag name in the list looks correct, then push the new tag directly to the repository by running `git push origin $version`.
+11. On notation-go GitHub page, goto [Tags](https://github.com/notaryproject/notation-go/tags). Your newly pushed tag should be shown on the top. Create a new release from the tag. Generate the release notes, revise the release description and change logs, and publish the release.
+12. Announce the new release in the Notary Project community.