Add latest changes from gitlab-org/gitlab@16-6-stable-eev16.6.0-rc42

22 files changed, 237 insertions, 45 deletions

diff --git a/data/deprecations/  16_3_runner-terminationgracepriodseconds.yml b/data/deprecations/  16_3_runner-terminationgracepriodseconds.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 032032b2196..00000000000
--- a/data/deprecations/  16_3_runner-terminationgracepriodseconds.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
-- title: "Deprecate `terminationGracePeriodSeconds` in the GitLab Runner Kubernetes executor" # (required) Clearly explain the change, or planned change. For example, "The `confidential` field for a `Note` is deprecated" or "CI/CD job names will be limited to 250 characters."
-  removal_milestone: "17.0" # (required) The milestone when this feature is planned to be removed
-  announcement_milestone: "16.3" # (required) The milestone when this feature was first announced as deprecated.
-  breaking_change: false # (required) Change to false if this is not a breaking change.
-  reporter: deastman # (required) GitLab username of the person reporting the change
-  stage: stage # (required) String value of the stage that the feature was created in. e.g., Growth
-  issue_url: "https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-runner/-/issues/28165"  # (required) Link to the deprecation issue in GitLab
-  body: | # (required) Do not modify this line, instead modify the lines below.
-    The GitLab Runner Kubernetes executor setting, `terminationGracePeriodSeconds`, is deprecated and will be removed in GitLab 17.0. To manage the cleanup and termination of GitLab Runner worker pods on Kubernetes, customers should instead configure `cleanupGracePeriodSeconds` and `podTerminationGracePeriodSeconds`. For information about how to use the `cleanupGracePeriodSeconds` and `podTerminationGracePeriodSeconds, see the [GitLab Runner Executor documentation](https://docs.gitlab.com/runner/executors/kubernetes.html#other-configtoml-settings).
-
-#
-# OPTIONAL END OF SUPPORT FIELDS
-#
-# If an End of Support period applies, the announcement should be shared with GitLab Support
-# in the `#spt_managers` channel in Slack, and mention `@gitlab-com/support` in this MR.
-#
-  end_of_support_milestone: 17.0 # (optional) Use "XX.YY" format. The milestone when support for this feature will end.
-  #
-  # OTHER OPTIONAL FIELDS
-  #
-  tiers: [Free, Premium, Ultimate] # (optional - may be required in the future) An array of tiers that the feature is available in currently.  e.g., [Free, Silver, Gold, Core, Premium, Ultimate]
-  documentation_url: "https://docs.gitlab.com/runner/executors/kubernetes.html" # (optional) This is a link to the current documentation page
diff --git a/data/deprecations/15.8-kas-private-tls.yml b/data/deprecations/15-8-kas-private-tls.yml
index 3d1a6e7830f..3d1a6e7830f 100644
--- a/data/deprecations/15.8-kas-private-tls.yml
+++ b/data/deprecations/15-8-kas-private-tls.yml
diff --git a/data/deprecations/15-9-database-single-database-connection-conf.yml b/data/deprecations/15-9-database-single-database-connection-conf.yml
index de4ae51d615..c7d59e860ca 100644
--- a/data/deprecations/15-9-database-single-database-connection-conf.yml
+++ b/data/deprecations/15-9-database-single-database-connection-conf.yml
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@
   stage: Enablement
   issue_url: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/387898
   body: |
-    This deprecation is now superseded by another [deprecation notice](#running-a-single-database-is-deprecated).
-
     Previously, [GitLab's database](https://docs.gitlab.com/omnibus/settings/database.html)
     configuration had a single `main:` section. This is being deprecated. The new
     configuration has both a `main:` and a `ci:` section.
diff --git a/data/deprecations/16-0-deprecate-omnibus-grafana.yml b/data/deprecations/16-0-deprecate-omnibus-grafana.yml
index 61c04e9f042..4035c3ce44a 100644
--- a/data/deprecations/16-0-deprecate-omnibus-grafana.yml
+++ b/data/deprecations/16-0-deprecate-omnibus-grafana.yml
@@ -19,5 +19,5 @@
     In GitLab versions 16.0 to 16.2, you can still [re-enable the bundled Grafana](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/administration/monitoring/performance/grafana_configuration.html#temporary-workaround).
     However, enabling the bundled Grafana will no longer work from GitLab 16.3.
   end_of_support_milestone:
-  tiers: # (optional - may be required in the future) An array of tiers that the feature is available in currently.  e.g., [Free, Silver, Gold, Core, Premium, Ultimate]
+  tiers:  # (optional - may be required in the future) An array of tiers that the feature is available in currently.  e.g., [Free, Silver, Gold, Core, Premium, Ultimate]
   documentation_url: https://docs.gitlab.com/omnibus/settings/grafana.html
diff --git a/data/deprecations/16.0-eol-windows-server-2004-and-20H2.yml b/data/deprecations/16-0-eol-windows-server-2004-and-20H2.yml
index 267304f6a13..267304f6a13 100644
--- a/data/deprecations/16.0-eol-windows-server-2004-and-20H2.yml
+++ b/data/deprecations/16-0-eol-windows-server-2004-and-20H2.yml
diff --git a/data/deprecations/16-1-non-decomposed-mode-deprecation.yml b/data/deprecations/16-1-non-decomposed-mode-deprecation.yml
index 83f99fc2dbd..d98c4f65504 100644
--- a/data/deprecations/16-1-non-decomposed-mode-deprecation.yml
+++ b/data/deprecations/16-1-non-decomposed-mode-deprecation.yml
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 - title: "Running a single database is deprecated"
-  removal_milestone: "17.0"
+  removal_milestone: "18.0"
   announcement_milestone: "16.1"
   breaking_change: true
   reporter: lohrc
   stage: data_stores
   issue_url: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/411239
   body: |
-    From GitLab 17.0, we will require a [separate database for CI features](https://gitlab.com/groups/gitlab-org/-/epics/7509).
+    From GitLab 18.0, we will require a [separate database for CI features](https://gitlab.com/groups/gitlab-org/-/epics/7509).
     We recommend running both databases on the same Postgres instance(s) due to ease of management for most deployments.
 
     We are providing this as an informational advance notice but we do not recommend taking action yet.
@@ -14,4 +14,4 @@
 
     This change provides additional scalability for the largest of GitLab instances, like GitLab.com.
     This change applies to all installation methods: Omnibus GitLab, GitLab Helm chart, GitLab Operator, GitLab Docker images, and installation from source.
-    Before upgrading to GitLab 17.0, please ensure you have [migrated](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/administration/postgresql/multiple_databases.html) to two databases.
+    Before upgrading to GitLab 18.0, please ensure you have [migrated](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/administration/postgresql/multiple_databases.html) to two databases.
diff --git a/data/deprecations/16-1-unified-approval-rules.yml b/data/deprecations/16-1-unified-approval-rules.yml
index 8622ed86d5f..802daded7f7 100644
--- a/data/deprecations/16-1-unified-approval-rules.yml
+++ b/data/deprecations/16-1-unified-approval-rules.yml
@@ -24,6 +24,6 @@
   # OTHER OPTIONAL FIELDS
   #
   tiers: [Premium, Ultimate]  # (optional - may be required in the future) An array of tiers that the feature is available in currently.  e.g., [Free, Silver, Gold, Core, Premium, Ultimate]
-  documentation_url: https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/environments/deployment_approvals.html # (optional) This is a link to the current documentation page
+  documentation_url: https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/environments/deployment_approvals.html  # (optional) This is a link to the current documentation page
   image_url:  # (optional) This is a link to a thumbnail image depicting the feature
   video_url:  # (optional) Use the youtube thumbnail URL with the structure of https://img.youtube.com/vi/UNIQUEID/hqdefault.jpg
diff --git a/data/deprecations/16-1-windows-cmd-runner-shell-executor.yml b/data/deprecations/16-1-windows-cmd-runner-shell-executor.yml
index c4c2435ba6f..12334f764b7 100644
--- a/data/deprecations/16-1-windows-cmd-runner-shell-executor.yml
+++ b/data/deprecations/16-1-windows-cmd-runner-shell-executor.yml
@@ -2,12 +2,12 @@
   announcement_milestone: "16.1"  # (required) The milestone when this feature was first announced as deprecated.
   announcement_date: "2023-06-22"  # (required) The date of the milestone release when this feature was first announced as deprecated. This should almost always be the 22nd of a month (YYYY-MM-22), unless you did an out of band blog post.
   removal_milestone: "17.0"  # (required) The milestone when this feature is planned to be removed
-  removal_date: "2024-05-22" # (required) The date of the milestone release when this feature is planned to be removed. This should almost always be the 22nd of a month (YYYY-MM-22), unless you did an out of band blog post.
+  removal_date: "2024-05-22"  # (required) The date of the milestone release when this feature is planned to be removed. This should almost always be the 22nd of a month (YYYY-MM-22), unless you did an out of band blog post.
   breaking_change: true  # (required) If this deprecation is a breaking change, set this value to true
   reporter: DarrenEastman  # (required) GitLab username of the person reporting the deprecation
-  stage: Verify # (required) String value of the stage that the feature was created in. e.g., Growth
-  issue_url: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/414864 # (required) Link to the deprecation issue in GitLab
+  stage: Verify  # (required) String value of the stage that the feature was created in. e.g., Growth
+  issue_url: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/414864  # (required) Link to the deprecation issue in GitLab
   body: |  # (required) Do not modify this line, instead modify the lines below.
     In GitLab 11.11 the Windows Batch executor, the CMD shell was deprecated in GitLab Runner in favor of PowerShell. Since then, the CMD shell has continued to be supported in GitLab Runner. However this has resulted in additional complexity for both the engineering team and customers using the Runner on Windows. We plan to fully remove support for Windows CMD from GitLab Runner in 17.0. Customers should plan to use PowerShell when using the runner on Windows with the shell executor. Customers can provide feedback or ask questions in the removal issue, [issue 29479](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-runner/-/issues/29479).
   end_of_support_milestone:  # (optional) Use "XX.YY" format. The milestone when support for this feature will end.
-  end_of_support_date: "2024-05-22" # (optional) The date of the milestone release when support for this feature will end.
+  end_of_support_date: "2024-05-22"  # (optional) The date of the milestone release when support for this feature will end.
diff --git a/data/deprecations/16-2-custom_sign_in_fields.yml b/data/deprecations/16-2-custom_sign_in_fields.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e9931ee5dce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/deprecations/16-2-custom_sign_in_fields.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+- title: 'Deprecated parameters related to custom text in the sign-in page'  # (required) The name of the feature to be deprecated
+  announcement_milestone: '16.2'  # (required) The milestone when this feature was first announced as deprecated.
+  announcement_date: '2023-07-22'  # (required) The date of the milestone release when this feature was first announced as deprecated. This should almost always be the 22nd of a month (YYYY-MM-22), unless you did an out of band blog post.
+  removal_milestone: '17.0'  # (required) The milestone when this feature is planned to be removed
+  removal_date: '2024-04-22'  # (required) The date of the milestone release when this feature is planned to be removed. This should almost always be the 22nd of a month (YYYY-MM-22), unless you did an out of band blog post.
+  breaking_change: true  # (required) If this deprecation is a breaking change, set this value to true
+  reporter: eduardosanz  # (required) GitLab username of the person reporting the deprecation
+  stage: Manage  # (required) String value of the stage that the feature was created in. e.g., Growth
+  issue_url: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/124461  # (required) Link to the deprecation issue in GitLab
+  body: |  # (required) Do not modify this line, instead modify the lines below.
+    The parameters, `sign_in_text` and `help_text`, are deprecated in the [Settings API](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/api/settings.html). To add a custom text to the sign-in and sign-up pages, use the `description` field in the [Appearance API](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/api/appearance.html).
diff --git a/data/deprecations/16-3-geo-housekeeping-rake-tasks.yml b/data/deprecations/16-3-geo-housekeeping-rake-tasks.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a791837df7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/deprecations/16-3-geo-housekeeping-rake-tasks.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+- title: "Geo: Housekeeping Rake tasks"
+  removal_milestone: "16.5"
+  announcement_milestone: "16.3"
+  breaking_change: true
+  reporter: sranasinghe
+  stage: enablement
+  issue_url: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/416384
+  body: |
+    As part of the migration of the replication and verification to the
+    [Geo self-service framework (SSF)](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/development/geo/framework.html),
+    the legacy replication for project repositories has been
+    [removed](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/130565).
+    As a result, the following Rake tasks that relied on legacy code have also been removed. The work invoked by these Rake tasks are now triggered automatically either periodically or based on trigger events.
+
+    | Rake task | Replacement |
+    | --------- | ----------- |
+    | `geo:git:housekeeping:full_repack` | [Moved to UI](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/administration/housekeeping.html#heuristical-housekeeping). No equivalent Rake task in the SSF. |
+    | `geo:git:housekeeping:gc` | Always executed for new repositories, and then when it's needed. No equivalent Rake task in the SSF. |
+    | `geo:git:housekeeping:incremental_repack` | Executed when needed. No equivalent Rake task in the SSF. |
+    | `geo:run_orphaned_project_registry_cleaner` | Executed regularly by a registry [consistency worker](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/master/ee/app/workers/geo/secondary/registry_consistency_worker.rb) which removes orphaned registries. No equivalent Rake task in the SSF. |
+    | `geo:verification:repository:reset` | Moved to UI.  No equivalent Rake task in the SSF. |
+    | `geo:verification:wiki:reset` | Moved to UI.  No equivalent Rake task in the SSF. |
diff --git a/data/deprecations/16-3-runner-terminationgracepriodseconds.yml b/data/deprecations/16-3-runner-terminationgracepriodseconds.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bdb54ab3981
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/deprecations/16-3-runner-terminationgracepriodseconds.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+- title: "Deprecate `terminationGracePeriodSeconds` in the GitLab Runner Kubernetes executor"  # (required) Clearly explain the change, or planned change. For example, "The `confidential` field for a `Note` is deprecated" or "CI/CD job names will be limited to 250 characters."
+  removal_milestone: "17.0"  # (required) The milestone when this feature is planned to be removed
+  announcement_milestone: "16.3"  # (required) The milestone when this feature was first announced as deprecated.
+  breaking_change: false  # (required) Change to false if this is not a breaking change.
+  reporter: deastman  # (required) GitLab username of the person reporting the change
+  stage: stage  # (required) String value of the stage that the feature was created in. e.g., Growth
+  issue_url: "https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-runner/-/issues/28165"  # (required) Link to the deprecation issue in GitLab
+  body: |  # (required) Do not modify this line, instead modify the lines below.
+    The GitLab Runner Kubernetes executor setting, `terminationGracePeriodSeconds`, is deprecated and will be removed in GitLab 17.0. To manage the cleanup and termination of GitLab Runner worker pods on Kubernetes, customers should instead configure `cleanupGracePeriodSeconds` and `podTerminationGracePeriodSeconds`. For information about how to use the `cleanupGracePeriodSeconds` and `podTerminationGracePeriodSeconds, see the [GitLab Runner Executor documentation](https://docs.gitlab.com/runner/executors/kubernetes.html#other-configtoml-settings).
+
+#
+# OPTIONAL END OF SUPPORT FIELDS
+#
+# If an End of Support period applies, the announcement should be shared with GitLab Support
+# in the `#spt_managers` channel in Slack, and mention `@gitlab-com/support` in this MR.
+#
+  end_of_support_milestone: 17.0  # (optional) Use "XX.YY" format. The milestone when support for this feature will end.
+  #
+  # OTHER OPTIONAL FIELDS
+  #
+  tiers: [Free, Premium, Ultimate]  # (optional - may be required in the future) An array of tiers that the feature is available in currently.  e.g., [Free, Silver, Gold, Core, Premium, Ultimate]
+  documentation_url: "https://docs.gitlab.com/runner/executors/kubernetes.html"  # (optional) This is a link to the current documentation page
diff --git a/data/deprecations/16-4-ci_job_token_scope_enabled-attribute-deprecation.yml b/data/deprecations/16-4-ci_job_token_scope_enabled-attribute-deprecation.yml
index 57e42f17cc8..698e5c1a7c9 100644
--- a/data/deprecations/16-4-ci_job_token_scope_enabled-attribute-deprecation.yml
+++ b/data/deprecations/16-4-ci_job_token_scope_enabled-attribute-deprecation.yml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
   breaking_change: true  # (required) Change to false if this is not a breaking change.
   reporter: jocelynjane  # (required) GitLab username of the person reporting the change
   stage: verify  # (required) String value of the stage that the feature was created in. e.g., Growth
-  issue_url: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/423091 # (required) Link to the deprecation issue in GitLab
+  issue_url: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/423091  # (required) Link to the deprecation issue in GitLab
   body: |  # (required) Do not modify this line, instead modify the lines below.
     GitLab 16.1 introduced [API endpoints for the job token scope](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/351740). In the [projects API](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/api/projects.html), the `ci_job_token_scope_enabled` attribute is deprecated, and will be removed in 17.0. You should use the [job token scope APIs](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/api/project_job_token_scopes.html) instead.
 #
diff --git a/data/deprecations/16-5-container-registry-support-storage-drivers-swift-oss.yml b/data/deprecations/16-5-container-registry-support-storage-drivers-swift-oss.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0d7364d05ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/deprecations/16-5-container-registry-support-storage-drivers-swift-oss.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+- title: "Container Registry support for the Swift and OSS storage drivers"
+  announcement_milestone: "16.6"
+  removal_milestone: "17.0"
+  breaking_change: true
+  reporter: trizzi
+  stage: Package
+  issue_url: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/container-registry/-/issues/1141
+  body: |
+    The container registry uses storage drivers to work with various object storage platforms. While each driver's code is relatively self-contained, there is a high maintenance burden for these drivers. Each driver implementation is unique and making changes to a driver requires a high level of domain expertise with that specific driver.
+
+    As we look to reduce maintenance costs, we are deprecating support for OSS (Object Storage Service) and OpenStack Swift. Both have already been removed from the upstream Docker Distribution. This helps align the container registry with the broader GitLab product offering with regards to [object storage support](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/administration/object_storage.html#supported-object-storage-providers).
+
+    OSS has an [S3 compatibility mode](https://www.alibabacloud.com/help/en/oss/developer-reference/compatibility-with-amazon-s3), so consider using that if you can't migrate to a supported driver. Swift is [compatible with S3 API operations](https://docs.openstack.org/swift/latest/s3_compat.html), required by the S3 storage driver as well.
diff --git a/data/deprecations/16-6-deprecation-legacy-geo-prometheus-metrics.yml b/data/deprecations/16-6-deprecation-legacy-geo-prometheus-metrics.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..59db93293be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/deprecations/16-6-deprecation-legacy-geo-prometheus-metrics.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+- title: "Legacy Geo Prometheus metrics"
+  removal_milestone: "17.0"
+  announcement_milestone: "16.6"
+  breaking_change: true
+  reporter: sranasinghe
+  stage: enablement
+  issue_url: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/430192
+  body: |
+    Following the migration of projects to the [Geo self-service framework](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/development/geo/framework.html) we have deprecated a number of [Prometheus](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/administration/monitoring/prometheus/) metrics.
+    The following Geo-related Prometheus metrics are deprecated and will be removed in 17.0.
+    The table below lists the deprecated metrics and their respective replacements. The replacements are available in GitLab 16.3.0 and later.
+
+    | Deprecated metric                        |  Replacement metric                            |
+    | ---------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
+    | `geo_repositories_synced`                | `geo_project_repositories_synced`              |
+    | `geo_repositories_failed`                | `geo_project_repositories_failed`              |
+    | `geo_repositories_checksummed`           | `geo_project_repositories_checksummed`         |
+    | `geo_repositories_checksum_failed`       | `geo_project_repositories_checksum_failed`     |
+    | `geo_repositories_verified`              | `geo_project_repositories_verified`            |
+    | `geo_repositories_verification_failed`   | `geo_project_repositories_verification_failed` |
+    | `geo_repositories_checksum_mismatch`     |  None available                                |
+    | `geo_repositories_retrying_verification` |  None available                                |
diff --git a/data/deprecations/16-6-file-type-variable-extension-deprecation.yml b/data/deprecations/16-6-file-type-variable-extension-deprecation.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b8fc9620a88
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/deprecations/16-6-file-type-variable-extension-deprecation.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+- title: "File type variable expansion fixed in downstream pipelines"
+  removal_milestone: "17.0"  # (required) The milestone when this feature is planned to be removed
+  announcement_milestone: "16.6"  # (required) The milestone when this feature was first announced as deprecated.
+  breaking_change: true  # (required) Change to false if this is not a breaking change.
+  reporter: jocelynjane  # (required) GitLab username of the person reporting the change
+  stage: Verify  # (required) String value of the stage that the feature was created in. e.g., Growth
+  issue_url: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/419445  # (required) Link to the deprecation issue in GitLab
+  body: |  # (required) Do not modify this line, instead modify the lines below.
+    Previously, if you tried to reference a [file type CI/CD variable](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/variables/#use-file-type-cicd-variables) in another CI/CD variable, the CI/CD variable would expand to contain the contents of the file. This behavior was incorrect because it did not comply with typical shell variable expansion rules. The CI/CD variable reference should expand to only contain the path to the file, not the contents of the file itself. This was [fixed for most use cases in GitLab 15.7](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/29407). Unfortunately, passing CI/CD variables to downstream pipelines was an edge case not yet fixed, but which will now be fixed in GitLab 17.0.
+
+    With this change, a variable configured in the `.gitlab-ci.yml` file can reference a file variable and be passed to a downstream pipeline, and the file variable will be passed to the downstream pipeline as well. The downstream pipeline will expand the variable reference to the file path, not the file contents.
+
+    This breaking change could disrupt user workflows that depend on expanding a file variable in a downstream pipeline.
diff --git a/data/deprecations/16-6-lfs-integrity-check-feature-flag-deprecation.yml b/data/deprecations/16-6-lfs-integrity-check-feature-flag-deprecation.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8e6088dc4e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/deprecations/16-6-lfs-integrity-check-feature-flag-deprecation.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+- title: "Deprecation of `lfs_check` feature flag"  # (required) Clearly explain the change, or planned change. For example, "The `confidential` field for a `Note` is deprecated" or "CI/CD job names will be limited to 250 characters."
+  removal_milestone: "16.9"  # (required) The milestone when this feature is planned to be removed
+  announcement_milestone: "16.6"  # (required) The milestone when this feature was first announced as deprecated.
+  breaking_change: false  # (required) Change to false if this is not a breaking change.
+  reporter: derekferguson  # (required) GitLab username of the person reporting the change
+  stage: Create  # (required) String value of the stage that the feature was created in. e.g., Growth
+  issue_url: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/233550  # (required) Link to the deprecation issue in GitLab
+  body: |  # (required) Do not modify this line, instead modify the lines below.
+    In GitLab 16.9, we will remove the `lfs_check` feature flag. This feature flag was [introduced 4 years ago](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-foss/-/issues/60588) and controls whether the LFS integrity check is enabled. The feature flag is enabled by default, but some customers experienced performance issues with the LFS integrity check and explicitly disabled it.
+
+    After [dramatically improving the performance](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/61355) of the LFS integrity check, we are ready to remove the feature flag. After the flag is removed, the feature will automatically be turned on for any environment in which it is currently disabled.
+
+    If this feature flag is disabled for your environment, and you are concerned about performance issues, please enable it and monitor the performance before it is removed in 16.9. If you see any performance issues after enabling it, please let us know in [this feedback issue](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/233550).
diff --git a/data/deprecations/16-6-maven-group-permissions.yml b/data/deprecations/16-6-maven-group-permissions.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f22aff107f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/deprecations/16-6-maven-group-permissions.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+- title: "Breaking change to the Maven repository group permissions"
+  announcement_milestone: "16.6"
+  removal_milestone: "17.0"
+  breaking_change: true
+  reporter: trizzi
+  stage: Package
+  issue_url: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/393933
+  body: |
+    The Maven repository exposes an API endpoint at the group level that allows Maven clients to download files from a specific package. The package finder first locates the package within the group, and then finds the file within the package.
+    However, there is a limitation that affects duplicate package names hosted in different projects. The Maven package finder always returns the most recent package, but the "most recent" filter depends on user permissions. It is possible for a user with different permissions in different projects to download the wrong Maven package.
+
+    In GitLab 17.0, the package finder logic will be fixed so that the "most recent" package is the last updated name and version of a package in a group. User permissions will be checked after the most recent package is found.
+    After the change, download requests for users without correct permissions will be rejected. If your workflow depends on the current bugged behavior, this fix will introduce a breaking change.
+
+    The change will be introduced in GitLab 16.6 behind a feature flag. If you are interested in enabling the feature flag for your group, leave a comment in [issue 393933](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/393933).
diff --git a/data/deprecations/16-6-package-deprecate-two-graphql-fields.yml b/data/deprecations/16-6-package-deprecate-two-graphql-fields.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..fd9498d5871
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/deprecations/16-6-package-deprecate-two-graphql-fields.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+- title: "GraphQL: deprecate support for `canDestroy` and `canDelete`"
+  announcement_milestone: "16.6"
+  removal_milestone: "17.0"
+  breaking_change: true
+  reporter: trizzi
+  stage: Package
+  issue_url: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/390754
+  body: |
+    The Package Registry user interface relies on the GitLab GraphQL API. To make it easy for everyone to contribute, it's important that the frontend is coded consistently across all GitLab product areas. Before GitLab 16.6, however, the Package Registry UI handled permissions differently from other areas of the product.
+
+    In 16.6, we added a new `UserPermissions` field under the `Types::PermissionTypes::Package` type to align the Package Registry with the rest of GitLab. This new field replaces the `canDestroy` field under the `Package`, `PackageBase`, and `PackageDetailsType` types. It also replaces the field `canDelete` for `ContainerRepository`, `ContainerRepositoryDetails`, and `ContainerRepositoryTag`. In GitLab 17.0, the `canDestroy` and `canDelete` fields will be removed.
+
+    This is a breaking change that will be completed in 17.0.
diff --git a/data/deprecations/16-6-proxy-based-dast-deprecation.yml b/data/deprecations/16-6-proxy-based-dast-deprecation.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..34a47fe8ea5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/deprecations/16-6-proxy-based-dast-deprecation.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+- title: "Proxy-based DAST deprecated"
+  removal_milestone: "17.0"  # (required) The milestone when this feature is planned to be removed
+  announcement_milestone: "16.6"  # (required) The milestone when this feature was first announced as deprecated.
+  breaking_change: true  # (required) Change to false if this is not a breaking change.
+  reporter: smeadzinger  # (required) GitLab username of the person reporting the change
+  stage: Secure  # (required) String value of the stage that the feature was created in. e.g., Growth
+  issue_url: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/430966  # (required) Link to the deprecation issue in GitLab
+  body: |  # (required) Do not modify this line, instead modify the lines below.
+    As of GitLab 17.0, Proxy-based DAST will not be supported. Please migrate to Browser-based DAST to continue analyzing your projects for security findings via dynamic analysis.
diff --git a/data/deprecations/16_2-custom_sign_in_fields.yml b/data/deprecations/16_2-custom_sign_in_fields.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 80184a3c096..00000000000
--- a/data/deprecations/16_2-custom_sign_in_fields.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-- title: 'Deprecated parameters related to custom text in the sign-in page' # (required) The name of the feature to be deprecated
-  announcement_milestone: '16.2' # (required) The milestone when this feature was first announced as deprecated.
-  announcement_date: '2023-07-22' # (required) The date of the milestone release when this feature was first announced as deprecated. This should almost always be the 22nd of a month (YYYY-MM-22), unless you did an out of band blog post.
-  removal_milestone: '17.0' # (required) The milestone when this feature is planned to be removed
-  removal_date: '2024-04-22' # (required) The date of the milestone release when this feature is planned to be removed. This should almost always be the 22nd of a month (YYYY-MM-22), unless you did an out of band blog post.
-  breaking_change: true # (required) If this deprecation is a breaking change, set this value to true
-  reporter: eduardosanz # (required) GitLab username of the person reporting the deprecation
-  stage: Manage # (required) String value of the stage that the feature was created in. e.g., Growth
-  issue_url: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/124461 # (required) Link to the deprecation issue in GitLab
-  body: | # (required) Do not modify this line, instead modify the lines below.
-    The parameters, `sign_in_text` and `help_text`, are deprecated in the [Settings API](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/api/settings.html). To add a custom text to the sign-in and sign-up pages, use the `description` field in the [Appearance API](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/api/appearance.html).
diff --git a/data/deprecations/17-0-github-rake-task.yml b/data/deprecations/17-0-github-rake-task.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d1e11973993
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/deprecations/17-0-github-rake-task.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+- title: "The GitHub importer Rake task"
+  removal_milestone: "17.0"
+  announcement_milestone: "16.6"
+  breaking_change: true
+  reporter: wortschi
+  stage: manage
+  issue_url: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/428225
+  body: |  # (required) Do not modify this line, instead modify the lines below.
+    In GitLab 16.6 the [GitHub importer Rake task](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/administration/raketasks/github_import.html) is deprecated. The Rake task lacks several features that are supported by the API and is not actively maintained.
+
+    In GitLab 17.0, the Rake task will be removed.
+
+    Instead, GitHub repositories can be imported by using the [API](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/api/import.html#import-repository-from-github) or the [UI](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/project/import/github.html).
+  documentation_url: https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/administration/raketasks/github_import.html
diff --git a/data/whats_new/202310220001_16_5.yml b/data/whats_new/202310220001_16_5.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..acb4118645b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/whats_new/202310220001_16_5.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+- name: Compliance standards adherence report
+  description: | # Do not modify this line, instead modify the lines below.
+    The Compliance Center now includes a new tab for the standards adherence report.
+    This report initially includes a GitLab best practices standard, showing when the
+    projects in your group are not meeting the requirements for the checks included in the standard. The
+    three checks shown initially are:
+
+    - Approval rule exists to require at least 2 approvers on MRs
+    - Approval rule exists to disallow the MR author to merge
+    - Approval rule exists to disallow committers to the MR to merge
+
+    The report contains details on the status of each check on a per project basis. It will
+    also show you when the check was last run, which standard the check applies to,
+    and how to fix any failures or problems that might be shown on the report. Future iterations
+    will add more checks and expand the scope to include more regulations and standards.
+    Additionally, we will be adding improvements to group and filter the report, so you
+    can focus on the projects or standards that matter most to your organization.
+  stage: govern
+  self-managed: true
+  gitlab-com: true
+  available_in: [Ultimate]
+  documentation_link: 'https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/compliance/compliance_center/#standards-adherence-dashboard'
+  image_url: 'https://about.gitlab.com/images/16_5/govern-compliance-standards-adherence-report.png'
+  published_at: 2023-10-22
+  release: 16.5
+- name: Create rules to set target branches for merge requests
+  description: | # Do not modify this line, instead modify the lines below.
+    Some projects use multiple long-term branches for development, like `develop` and `qa`. In these projects, you might want to keep `main` as the default branch since it represents the production state of the project. However, development work expects merge requests to target `develop` or `qa`. Target branch rules help ensure merge requests target the appropriate branch for your project and development workflow.
+
+    When you create a merge request, the rule checks the name of the branch. If the branch name matches the rule, the merge request pre-selects the branch you specified in the rule as the target. If the branch name does not match, the merge request targets the default branch of the project.
+  stage: create
+  self-managed: true
+  gitlab-com: true
+  available_in: [Premium, Ultimate]
+  documentation_link: 'https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/project/repository/branches/#configure-rules-for-target-branches'
+  image_url: 'https://about.gitlab.com/images/16_5/create-target-branch-rules.png'
+  published_at: 2023-10-22
+  release: 16.5
+- name: Resolve an issue thread
+  description: | # Do not modify this line, instead modify the lines below.
+    Long-running issues with many threads can be challenging to read and track. You can now resolve a thread on an issue when the topic of discussion has concluded.
+  stage: plan
+  self-managed: true
+  gitlab-com: true
+  available_in: [Free, Premium, Ultimate]
+  documentation_link: 'https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/discussions/#resolve-a-thread'
+  image_url: 'https://about.gitlab.com/images/16_5/resolve_functionality_for_issues.png'
+  published_at: 2023-10-22
+  release: 16.5
+- name: Fast-forward merge trains with semi-linear history
+  description: | # Do not modify this line, instead modify the lines below.
+    In 16.4, we released [Fast-forward merge trains](https://about.gitlab.com/releases/2023/09/22/gitlab-16-4-released/#fast-forward-merge-support-for-merge-trains), and as a continuation, we want to ensure we support all [merge methods](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/project/merge_requests/methods/). Now, if you want to ensure your semi-linear commit history is maintained you can use Semi-linear fast-forward merge trains.
+  stage: verify
+  self-managed: true
+  gitlab-com: true
+  available_in: [Premium, Ultimate]
+  documentation_link: 'https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/pipelines/merge_trains.html'
+  image_url: 'https://about.gitlab.com/images/16_5/ff-merge.png'
+  published_at: 2023-10-22
+  release: 16.5