* API fields previously capable of storing and returning either `[]` and `null` via JSON API requests (for example, the Endpoints `subsets` field) can now store only `null` when created using the protobuf content-type or stored in etcd using protobuf serialization (the default in 1.6+). JSON API clients should tolerate `null` values for such fields, and treat `null` and `[]` as equivalent in meaning unless specifically documented otherwise...

## Dependencies

### Added
_Nothing has changed._

### Changed
- github.com/evanphx/json-patch: [162e562 → v4.9.0+incompatible](https://github.com/evanphx/json-patch/compare/162e562...v4.9.0)

### Removed
- github.com/jessevdk/go-flags: [v1.4.0](https://github.com/jessevdk/go-flags/tree/v1.4.0)



# v1.17.11

## Dependencies

### Added
_Nothing has changed._

### Changed
- github.com/evanphx/json-patch: [v5.6.0+incompatible → v4.12.0+incompatible](https://github.com/evanphx/json-patch/compare/v5.6.0...v4.12.0)
- github.com/google/cel-go: [v0.16.0 → v0.16.1](https://github.com/google/cel-go/compare/v0.16.0...v0.16.1)

### Removed
_Nothing has changed._

## Dependencies

### Added
_Nothing has changed._

### Changed
- github.com/evanphx/json-patch: [162e562 → v4.9.0+incompatible](https://github.com/evanphx/json-patch/compare/162e562...v4.9.0)

### Removed
- github.com/jessevdk/go-flags: [v1.4.0](https://github.com/jessevdk/go-flags/tree/v1.4.0)



# v1.18.8

    * If the serialization type is 'application/json':
    * If serialization fails, and the original status code was an failure (e.g. 4xx or 5xx), the original status code will be returned.

*   The Kubelet's feature gates are now specified as a map when provided via a JSON or YAML KubeletConfiguration, rather than as a string of key-value pairs, making them less awkward for users. ([#53025](https://github.com/kub...

<table>
  <tr>
    <td>previous</td>
    <td>now</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>GET /swagger.json</td>
    <td>GET /openapi/v2

- E2e framework: added `--report-complete-ginkgo` and `--report-complete-junit` parameters. They work like `ginkgo --json-report <report dir>/ginkgo/report.json --junit-report <report dir>/ginkgo/report.xml`. ([#115678](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/115678), [@pohly](https://github.com/pohly)) [SIG Testing]

- Kubectl: `kubectl get` will omit managed fields by default now. Users could set `--show-managed-fields` to true to show managedFields when the output format is either `json` or `yaml`. ([#96878](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/96878), [@knight42](https://github.com/knight42)) [SIG CLI and Testing]

- kube-controller-manager
  - The deprecated `--insecure-experimental-approve-all-kubelet-csrs-for-group` flag has been removed.
- kubelet
  - The deprecated `--google-json-key` flag has been removed. Remove the `--google-json-key` flag from kubelet invocations before upgrading. ([#69354](https://github.com/kubernetes/kubernetes/pull/69354), [@yujuhong](https://github.com/yujuhong))