WIP: Initial commit of release automation tooling.

There are many TODOs, but this is a good working baseline from which to build.
We're producing releases using this tooling.

README.md

@@ -1,2 +1,77 @@
-# release
-Release infrastructure for Kubernetes and related components
+# Kubernetes Release Process
+
+This repo contains the release infrastructure for [Kubernetes](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes).
+
+## Release Intro
+
+Kubernetes releases are done by the Kubernetes team at Google due to
+permissions and other restrictions.  The goal is to eventually update the
+tooling and process so that other Kubernetes contributors can generate
+releases.
+
+The current process runs by default in *mock* mode and anyone should
+be able to run it in this mode to see exactly how the process works.
+In *mock* mode all the code paths are followed for a release, but nothing
+is pushed to repositories.
+
+Sticking with the ancient Greek theme, the release script is called `anago`.
+Anago means, in the context of navigators and shipping:
+"to launch out, set sail, put to sea."
+
+`anago` includes a familiar [\*nix-style man
+page](https://github.com/kubernetes/release/blob/master/anago) with usage,
+process and examples.  The link shows how the self-contained doc/man page
+makes up the header of the script itself and the same info is available
+on the command-line (or get usage simply by calling the script with no options):
+
+```
+$ anago -man
+```
+
+The idea is that no external doc updates should be necessary and the
+tool itself contains all of the details and instructions and prerequisite
+checks needed for anyone to run the tool in at least mock mode.
+
+There is a simple $USER check to ensure that noone but a certain few people can
+run the script with --nomock to perform a real release.
+
+## Release Instructions
+
+The tool was designed to require minimal inputs.
+The only information the tool needs is to know where you want to create a
+release with one optional flag [--official] used on release-\* branches only.
+
+Try an alpha release:
+```
+$ anago master
+```
+
+Try a beta release on a branch:
+```
+$ anago release-1.2
+```
+
+Try an official release on a branch:
+```
+$ anago release-1.2 --official
+```
+
+Try a beta release on a new branch:
+```
+$ anago release-9.9
+```
+
+## Other Tools
+
+### Release Notes Gathering
+
+```
+# get details on how to use the tool
+$ relnotes -man
+# Show release notes from the last release on a branch to HEAD
+$ cd /kubernetes
+$ relnotes
+```
+
+Please report *any* [issues](https://github.com/kubernetes/release/issues)
+you encounter.