Release Notes:

Configurability:
+ aquery: `//foo:bar` now means "all configured targets with label `//foo:bar`" instead of "choose an arbitrary configured target with label `//foo:bar`". This is in line with cquery behavior. (#22135)
+ Added a new flag `--incompatible_disable_native_repo_rules` to disable native repo rule usage in WORKSPACE. All native repo rules now have a Starlark counterpart that can be used in both WORKSPACE and Bzlmod; see #22080 for more details. (#22203)
+ Starlark command-line flags can now be referred to through `alias` targets. (#22212)

ExternalDeps:
+ bzlmod `git_repository` now accepts the `strip_prefix` arg and passes it to the underlying `git_repository` call. (#22137)
+ Added a new `include()` directive to `MODULE.bazel` files, which allows the root module file to be divided into multiple segments. (#22204)
+ Fixed certain deadlocks in repo fetching with worker threads (`--experimental_worker_for_repo_fetching=auto`). (#22261)
+ `print` statements in module files are now only executed for the root module and modules subject to non-registry overrides (e.g. `local_path_override`). (#22263)
+ The new `refresh` value for `--lockfile_mode` behaves like the `update` mode, but additionally forces a refresh of mutable registry content (yanked versions and missing module versions) when switched to or from time to time while enabled. (#22371)
+ `Label` instances passed to `print` or `fail` as positional arguments are now formatted with apparent repository names (optimized for human readability). (#22460)
+ Changes to environment variables read via `getenv` now correctly invalidate module extensions. (#22541)
+ Git merge conflicts in `MODULE.bazel.lock` files can be resolved automatically. See https://bazel.build/external/lockfile#automatic-resolution for the required setup. (#22650)

OSS:
+ Bazel on Linux and BSD now respects the XDG_CACHE_HOME environment variable instead of assuming that ~/.cache/bazel is writable. (#21817)

Performance:
+ Paths in the Linux sandbox are now again identical to those outside the sandbox, even with `--incompatible_sandbox_hermetic_tmp`. (#22407)

Remote-Exec:
+ The combined coverage report produced via `--combined_report=lcov` is now announced on the BES via the new `CoverageReport` event. (#22327)
+ The compact and full execution logs now contain start times for spawns (if available). (#22341)

Rules-CPP:
+ The default Unix C++ toolchain now supports the `parse_headers` feature to validate header files with `--process_headers_in_dependencies`. (#22369)

Starlark-Interpreter:
+ Starlark `min` and `max` buitins now allow a `key` callback, similarly to `sorted`. (#21960)

Acknowledgements:

This release contains contributions from many people at Google, as well as bazel.build machine account, Brentley Jones, Cameron Martin, Daniel Wagner-Hall, Douglas Thor, Fabian Meumertzheim, George Gensure, hvd, Isaac Torres, Keith Smiley, Mark Elliot, oquenchil, Romain Chossart, Son Luong Ngoc, Spencer Putt, Thomas Weischuh, Xdng Yng, Xùdōng Yáng, Zheng Wei Tan.

Release Notes:

Configurability:
+ aquery: `//foo:bar` now means "all configured targets with label `//foo:bar`" instead of "choose an arbitrary configured target with label `//foo:bar`". This is in line with cquery behavior. (#22135)
+ Added a new flag `--incompatible_disable_native_repo_rules` to disable native repo rule usage in WORKSPACE. All native repo rules now have a Starlark counterpart that can be used in both WORKSPACE and Bzlmod; see #22080 for more details. (#22203)
+ Starlark command-line flags can now be referred to through `alias` targets. (#22212)

ExternalDeps:
+ bzlmod `git_repository` now accepts the `strip_prefix` arg and passes it to the underlying `git_repository` call. (#22137)
+ Added a new `include()` directive to `MODULE.bazel` files, which allows the root module file to be divided into multiple segments. (#22204)
+ Fixed certain deadlocks in repo fetching with worker threads (`--experimental_worker_for_repo_fetching=auto`). (#22261)
+ `print` statements in module files are now only executed for the root module and modules subject to non-registry overrides (e.g. `local_path_override`). (#22263)
+ The new `refresh` value for `--lockfile_mode` behaves like the `update` mode, but additionally forces a refresh of mutable registry content (yanked versions and missing module versions) when switched to or from time to time while enabled. (#22371)
+ `Label` instances passed to `print` or `fail` as positional arguments are now formatted with apparent repository names (optimized for human readability). (#22460)
+ Changes to environment variables read via `getenv` now correctly invalidate module extensions. (#22541)
+ Git merge conflicts in `MODULE.bazel.lock` files can be resolved automatically. See https://bazel.build/external/lockfile#automatic-resolution for the required setup. (#22650)

OSS:
+ Bazel on Linux and BSD now respects the XDG_CACHE_HOME environment variable instead of assuming that ~/.cache/bazel is writable. (#21817)

Performance:
+ Paths in the Linux sandbox are now again identical to those outside the sandbox, even with `--incompatible_sandbox_hermetic_tmp`. (#22407)

Remote-Exec:
+ The combined coverage report produced via `--combined_report=lcov` is now announced on the BES via the new `CoverageReport` event. (#22327)
+ The compact and full execution logs now contain start times for spawns (if available). (#22341)

Rules-CPP:
+ The default Unix C++ toolchain now supports the `parse_headers` feature to validate header files with `--process_headers_in_dependencies`. (#22369)

Starlark-Interpreter:
+ Starlark `min` and `max` buitins now allow a `key` callback, similarly to `sorted`. (#21960)

Acknowledgements:

This release contains contributions from many people at Google, as well as bazel.build machine account, Brentley Jones, Cameron Martin, Daniel Wagner-Hall, Douglas Thor, Fabian Meumertzheim, George Gensure, hvd, Isaac Torres, Keith Smiley, Mark Elliot, oquenchil, Romain Chossart, Son Luong Ngoc, Spencer Putt, Thomas Weischuh, Xdng Yng, Xùdōng Yáng, Zheng Wei Tan.

Release Notes:

Configurability:
+ aquery: `//foo:bar` now means "all configured targets with label `//foo:bar`" instead of "choose an arbitrary configured target with label `//foo:bar`". This is in line with cquery behavior. (bazelbuild#22135)
+ Added a new flag `--incompatible_disable_native_repo_rules` to disable native repo rule usage in WORKSPACE. All native repo rules now have a Starlark counterpart that can be used in both WORKSPACE and Bzlmod; see bazelbuild#22080 for more details. (bazelbuild#22203)
+ Starlark command-line flags can now be referred to through `alias` targets. (bazelbuild#22212)

ExternalDeps:
+ bzlmod `git_repository` now accepts the `strip_prefix` arg and passes it to the underlying `git_repository` call. (bazelbuild#22137)
+ Added a new `include()` directive to `MODULE.bazel` files, which allows the root module file to be divided into multiple segments. (bazelbuild#22204)
+ Fixed certain deadlocks in repo fetching with worker threads (`--experimental_worker_for_repo_fetching=auto`). (bazelbuild#22261)
+ `print` statements in module files are now only executed for the root module and modules subject to non-registry overrides (e.g. `local_path_override`). (bazelbuild#22263)
+ The new `refresh` value for `--lockfile_mode` behaves like the `update` mode, but additionally forces a refresh of mutable registry content (yanked versions and missing module versions) when switched to or from time to time while enabled. (bazelbuild#22371)
+ `Label` instances passed to `print` or `fail` as positional arguments are now formatted with apparent repository names (optimized for human readability). (bazelbuild#22460)
+ Changes to environment variables read via `getenv` now correctly invalidate module extensions. (bazelbuild#22541)
+ Git merge conflicts in `MODULE.bazel.lock` files can be resolved automatically. See https://bazel.build/external/lockfile#automatic-resolution for the required setup. (bazelbuild#22650)

OSS:
+ Bazel on Linux and BSD now respects the XDG_CACHE_HOME environment variable instead of assuming that ~/.cache/bazel is writable. (bazelbuild#21817)

Performance:
+ Paths in the Linux sandbox are now again identical to those outside the sandbox, even with `--incompatible_sandbox_hermetic_tmp`. (bazelbuild#22407)

Remote-Exec:
+ The combined coverage report produced via `--combined_report=lcov` is now announced on the BES via the new `CoverageReport` event. (bazelbuild#22327)
+ The compact and full execution logs now contain start times for spawns (if available). (bazelbuild#22341)

Rules-CPP:
+ The default Unix C++ toolchain now supports the `parse_headers` feature to validate header files with `--process_headers_in_dependencies`. (bazelbuild#22369)

Starlark-Interpreter:
+ Starlark `min` and `max` buitins now allow a `key` callback, similarly to `sorted`. (bazelbuild#21960)

Acknowledgements:

This release contains contributions from many people at Google, as well as bazel.build machine account, Brentley Jones, Cameron Martin, Daniel Wagner-Hall, Douglas Thor, Fabian Meumertzheim, George Gensure, hvd, Isaac Torres, Keith Smiley, Mark Elliot, oquenchil, Romain Chossart, Son Luong Ngoc, Spencer Putt, Thomas Weischuh, Xdng Yng, Xùdōng Yáng, Zheng Wei Tan.