release: add notes of FIPS build and release

RELEASE.md

@@ -336,6 +336,33 @@ Push the version tag to the canonical/snapd repo by following the steps:
 6. Once you are done setting it up, save, click on the package (https://launchpad.net/~snappy-dev/+snap/snapd-2.XX), and request builds.
 7. Once the builds have completed, ensure the versions are correct by checking `snapcraft status snapd | grep beta/<version>`
 
+##### 4.1 Create snapd FIPS builds for `fips-updates/beta/<version>` on Launchpad
+
+Prerequisites:
+- You are a member of [Ubuntu Core/Snapd FIPS team](https://launchpad.net/~uc-snapd-fips) - if not, ask for an invite.
+- You have access to a FIPS enabled Ubuntu 24.04 or 22.04 system. An LXD VM which you can set up by running `pro attach <my-token> && pro enable fips-updates` is sufficient.
+
+Repeat steps 1-4 from section 4, then:
+5. In yet another window open the [snapd-fips package edit page](https://launchpad.net/~ubuntu-advantage/fips-cc-stig/+snap/snapd-fips/+edit) for reference.
+6. Set `snapd-fips-<2.XX>` as the recipe name. The recipe **MUST** be owned by `ubuntu-advantage` and associated with `fips-cc-stig` project. The build **MUST** be done using `~ubuntu-advantage/ubuntu/pro-fips-updates` PPA for FIPS modules to be automatically located at build time. Use the same branch as for the non-FIPS build. Configure automatic store upload to `fips-updates/beta/<version>` branch. Only select `amd64` and `arm64` architectures. Save the package and request builds, double check that the right PPA is used for the builds.
+7. Once the builds have completed, ensure the versions are correct by checking `snapcraft status snapd | grep fips-updates/beta/<version>`. The snap version should be `2.XX+fips`.
+
+**IMPORTANT: the `+fips` suffix is added automatically at build time once the relevant FIPS modules were found. If the suffix is missing, ensure that a correct PPA was enabled during the build.**
+
+Post-build verification steps;
+8. In a FIPS enabled VM (confirm by `/proc/sys/crypto/fips_enabled` contains `1`), install snapd snap from the build branch.
+9. Confirm snapd snap version. Confirm the FIPS provider module is used at runtime by running: `pmap -p $(pidof snapd) |grep fips.so`.
+   Example:
+   ```
+   root@vu3-2404-pro-fips:~# pmap -p $(pidof snapd) |grep fips.so
+   0000791b7697f000    100K r---- /snap/snapd/26976/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/ossl-modules-3/fips.so
+   0000791b76998000   1068K r-x-- /snap/snapd/26976/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/ossl-modules-3/fips.so
+   0000791b76aa3000    236K r---- /snap/snapd/26976/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/ossl-modules-3/fips.so
+   0000791b76ade000      4K ----- /snap/snapd/26976/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/ossl-modules-3/fips.so
+   0000791b76adf000     88K r---- /snap/snapd/26976/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/ossl-modules-3/fips.so
+   0000791b76af5000      4K rw--- /snap/snapd/26976/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/ossl-modules-3/fips.so
+   ```
+
 #### 5. Release to latest/beta
 
 Prerequisites:
@@ -350,6 +377,11 @@ Steps:
 4. Update internal roadmap tracking, for example by marking Jira epics and releases as completed.
 5. Update GitHub milestones to close the released milestone
 
+##### 5.1 Release of FIPS artifact to fips-updates/beta
+
+1. Find the revisions for the snap in `fips-updates/beta/<version>` branch.
+2. For each architecture build (`amd64` and `arm64`), release it to `fips-updates` track by running `snapcraft release snapd <revision-number> fips-updates/beta`.
+
 #### 6. Post-beta steps
 
 1. Let snapd QA know that snapd was promoted to beta so they can verify that testing has started.