[docs] Multipass v1.17 release notes draft

docs/reference/release-notes/1.17.0.md

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+(1.17.0)=
+# 1.17.0
+
+These release notes cover new features and changes in Multipass 1.17.0.
+
+Multipass 1.17.0 is a major feature release. It introduces a native Apple Virtualization backend on macOS, a rewritten Windows backend built on the Host Compute System (HCS) API, Availability Zones, new Debian and Fedora images with a redesigned image catalogue, and support for additional CPU architectures. Under the hood, the code base moved to C++20, gained a Rust toolchain, updated QEMU and Flutter, and migrated many dependencies to vcpkg. This release also removes the deprecated LXD and libvirt backends, blueprints, and appliances.
+
+## New features and improvements
+
+### Apple Virtualization backend (macOS)
+
+Multipass now ships a native macOS backend built on Apple's Virtualization framework, running alongside QEMU. It adds VM lifecycle support, ASIF image support, additional networks, and Availability Zone integration ([#4653](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4653), [#4676](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4676), [#4757](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4757), [#4931](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4931), [#4542](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4542)).
+
+### New Windows backend on Host Compute System (HCS)
+
+The Windows backend has been reworked on top of the Hyper-V Host Compute System API, providing a more robust and better-integrated virtualization path on Windows ([#4080](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4080)).
+
+### Availability Zones
+
+Availability Zones let you place and organize instances across isolated zones, each with its own subnet management. The feature is now enabled by default ([#4312](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4312), [#4061](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4061), [#5056](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/5056)). Use `multipass zones` to list zones and their subnets ([#4969](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4969)).
+
+### Debian and Fedora images and a redesigned catalogue
+
+Multipass can now fetch Debian and Fedora images in addition to Ubuntu, and the image catalogue page has been redesigned to make discovering and launching images easier ([#4293](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4293), [#4474](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4474)).
+
+### Additional CPU architectures
+
+Multipass now builds for `s390x` and `ppc64el`, with additional GitHub runners added to support these architectures ([#4548](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4548), [#4890](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4890), [#4893](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4893)).
+
+### GUI improvements
+
+* App localizations for the desktop client ([#4797](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4797))
+* Updated to Flutter 3.32.5 ([#4181](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4181))
+* Remember terminal font size ([#4208](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4208))
+* Add a `Select All` option to the terminal right-click menu ([#4211](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4211))
+* Set minimum RAM and disk size based on image type in the launch form ([#4239](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4239))
+* Add an About section in the Settings tab ([#4420](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4420))
+* Add a certificate check to the gRPC client ([#4329](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4329))
+
+### Under the hood
+
+* Switched the build to C++20 ([#4378](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4378))
+* Introduced a Rust toolchain and a native petname implementation ([#4600](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4600))
+* Bumped QEMU to 10.0.3 and moved QEMU to vcpkg ([#4416](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4416), [#4799](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4799))
+* Updated gRPC to 1.71.0 and migrated Qt, libssh, xz, semver, and premock to vcpkg ([#4621](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4621), [#4530](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4530), [#4614](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4614), [#4734](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4734), [#4461](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4461), [#4776](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4776))
+* Migrated JSON handling to Boost.JSON and removed the legacy Qt JSON utilities across the daemon, image vault, snapshots, and CLI ([#4515](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4515), [#4566](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4566), [#4777](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4777), [#4730](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4730), [#4491](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4491))
+* Introduced a Multipass CLI test suite and Flutter unit tests in CI ([#4220](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4220), [#5026](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/5026))
+* Added version information to Windows executables ([#5022](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/5022))
+
+## Breaking changes
+
+* Removed support for LXD as a Multipass backend ([#4402](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4402))
+* Removed support for libvirt as a Multipass backend ([#4365](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4365))
+* Removed blueprints ([#4389](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4389))
+* Removed support for appliances ([#4363](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4363))
+* Removed the deprecated `mem` launch option (use `memory`) ([#4116](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4116))
+* Removed the `--all` option from `multipass info` for the current release ([#5032](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/5032))
+
+## Bug fixes
+
+* Fix image resizing on Ubuntu Core images ([#4663](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4663))
+* Fix SSH session shutdown ([#4962](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4962))
+* Fix `QEMU` `create_tap_device` to reconfigure an existing device ([#4971](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4971))
+* Patch failure to start bridged instances that are suspended after a snap update ([#4708](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4708))
+* Fix root certificate not found when using an external directory ([#4252](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4252))
+* Include `qcow2` files when cloning ([#4273](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4273))
+* Don't prune image directories that are being downloaded ([#4808](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4808))
+* Fix `sftp` link path denial ([#4887](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4887))
+* Normalize `sshfs` mount paths ([#4857](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4857))
+* Solve error from suspended instances on GUI close ([#4358](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4358))
+* Fix Windows installer logs path ([#4359](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4359))
+* Fix client key permissions ([#4194](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4194))
+* Fix memory leaks identified by ASan and file-path leaks in logs ([#4716](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4716), [#4674](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4674))
+
+## New contributors
+
+Special thanks to our new contributors :wink:
+
+* [@AhmedMagdy9876](https://github.com/AhmedMagdy9876) made their first contribution in https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/4937
+* [@chrisndbg](https://github.com/chrisndbg) made their first contribution in https://github.com/canonical/multipass/pull/5022
+
+## Changes
+
+See also the full diff: [`v1.16.3...v1.17.0`](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/compare/v1.16.3...v1.17.0).
+
+## Feedback
+
+Please file issues on the [Multipass GitHub](https://github.com/canonical/multipass/issues/new/choose) for problems and feature requests, or join the [Multipass Discourse forum](https://discourse.ubuntu.com/c/project/multipass) to chat. You can also find us in the [Multipass room on Matrix](https://matrix.to/#/#multipass:ubuntu.com).