Logstash is undergoing several updates and improvements as it approaches its 5.0 release. JSON logging is being reintroduced after resolving previous issues, and a new Java Event API has been integrated, allowing for a significant update of over 80 plugins to ensure compatibility. Efforts are also being made to improve release packages by aligning directory layouts with Elasticsearch, adopting upstart and systemd for managing services, and centralizing JVM options. The team is exploring the use of the Kryo library for event serialization and addressing a "resource leak" issue related to dynamic configuration reloading in collaboration with the JRuby team. Enhancements to RabbitMQ include reverting the SSL option to a boolean and adding certificate validation options. Other updates include removing feature flags for environment variable support, refining the list of plugins packaged with version 5.0, and setting Java 8 as a strict requirement for Logstash.