New release v2.8.18rc1v2.8.18rc1

4 files changed, 40 insertions, 1 deletions

diff --git a/changelogs/.changes.yaml b/changelogs/.changes.yaml
index bed86ede15..55d9721819 100644
--- a/changelogs/.changes.yaml
+++ b/changelogs/.changes.yaml
@@ -1728,6 +1728,17 @@ releases:
     - galaxy_login_bye.yml
     - v2.8.17rc1_summary.yaml
     release_date: '2020-10-26'
+  2.8.18rc1:
+    codename: How Many More Times
+    fragments:
+    - ansible-test-acme-test-plugin.yml
+    - ansible-test-azp-change-detection.yml
+    - ansible-test-centos6-eol.yml
+    - cffi-constraint.yml
+    - py26-multiprocess-queue-bug.yml
+    - rhel-7.9.yml
+    - v2.8.18rc1_summary.yaml
+    release_date: '2020-12-07'
   2.8.2:
     codename: How Many More Times
     fragments:
diff --git a/changelogs/CHANGELOG-v2.8.rst b/changelogs/CHANGELOG-v2.8.rst
index 9b4d82dba4..6b8312a461 100644
--- a/changelogs/CHANGELOG-v2.8.rst
+++ b/changelogs/CHANGELOG-v2.8.rst
@@ -5,6 +5,31 @@ Ansible 2.8 "How Many More Times" Release Notes
 .. contents:: Topics
 
 
+v2.8.18rc1
+==========
+
+Release Summary
+---------------
+
+| Release Date: 2020-12-07
+| `Porting Guide <https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/devel/porting_guides.html>`__
+
+
+Minor Changes
+-------------
+
+- ansible-test - Added the ``-remote rhel/7.9`` option to run tests on RHEL 7.9
+- ansible-test - Fix container hostname/IP discovery for the ``acme`` test plugin.
+- ansible-test - centos6 end of life - container image updated to point to vault base repository (https://github.com/ansible/distro-test-containers/pull/54)
+
+Bugfixes
+--------
+
+- account for bug in Python 2.6 that occurs during interpreter shutdown to avoid stack trace
+- ansible-test - Correctly detect changes in a GitHub pull request when running on Azure Pipelines.
+- ansible-test - add constraint for ``cffi`` to prevent failure on systems with older versions of ``gcc`` (https://foss.heptapod.net/pypy/cffi/-/issues/480)
+
+
 v2.8.17
 =======
 
diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/v2.8.18rc1_summary.yaml b/changelogs/fragments/v2.8.18rc1_summary.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f23058c519
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/v2.8.18rc1_summary.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+release_summary: |
+   | Release Date: 2020-12-07
+   | `Porting Guide <https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/devel/porting_guides.html>`__
diff --git a/lib/ansible/release.py b/lib/ansible/release.py
index a5d58d7f73..1198c369d3 100644
--- a/lib/ansible/release.py
+++ b/lib/ansible/release.py
@@ -19,6 +19,6 @@
 from __future__ import (absolute_import, division, print_function)
 __metaclass__ = type
 
-__version__ = '2.8.17.post0'
+__version__ = '2.8.18rc1'
 __author__ = 'Ansible, Inc.'
 __codename__ = 'How Many More Times'