4.4.0 - codename M32

[slaff]

We are happy to announce Sming version 4.4.0 - a new major release containing new features, improvements and bug fixes.
This release is code-named "M32". Where "M" and "32" stand for high-quality contributions and improved ESP32 support.
Thanks to @mikee47's and his fantastic work.

Some of the highlights in this release:

• Improved ESP32 support with support for different ESP32 variants.
• Moved from IDF v.4.1 to IDF v.4.3.
• Asynchronous Graphics Library.
• Support for LittleFS.
• Sming Host Emulator: Enabled Host access to physical COM ports.
• Sming Host Emulator: allows running the main logic in the Host emulator while running parts of the hardware dependent code directly on a real micro-controller

And a lot more. The complete list can is given below:

New features

• Added LittleFS support Add LittleFS support #2304
• Asynchronous Graphics Library Asynchronous Graphics Library #2357
• Updated ESP32 to build with IDF v4.3 Update ESP32 to build with IDF v4.3 #2358
• Added Ethernet support for ESP32 Add Ethernet support for ESP32 #2361
• Sming Host Emulator: Enabled Host access to physical COM ports Enable Host access to physical COM ports #2326
• Feature: hosted - allows running the main logic in the Host emulator while running parts of the hardware dependent code directly on a real micro-controller Feature: component hosted #2305
• Feature: hosted serial Feature: hosted serial #2312 - allows communication over physical communication port.
• Moved Core/Network into separate Component Pull Core/Network out into separate Component #2316
• IFS attribute enumeration support IFS attribute enumeration support #2318
• FWFS Mountpoint Support FWFS Mountpoint Support #2315
• FWFS stores objectIDs as offsets FWFS stores objectIDs as offsets #2321
• FWFS streaming filesystem backup support Add streaming filesystem backup support #2323
• Over-The-Air (OTA) for all supported architectures Feature: unified Over-The-Air (OTA) upgrades #2332
• HttpServer plugins Feature: HttpServer plugins #2354
• Added DISABLE_NETWORK and SDK_CUSTOM_CONFIG settings Add DISABLE_NETWORK and SDK_CUSTOM_CONFIG settings #2362
• Added verifyflash build target Add verifyflash build target #2368

Improvements

• Storage, rBoot and profile editor updates Storage, rBoot and profile editor updates #2302
• Little FS improvements and IFS revisions to support user metadata Little FS improvements and IFS revisions to support user metadata #2308
• Added support for zsh in export.sh script (Adding support to zsh to the export.sh script #2340)
• Added support for sending streams directly from TcpClient. Added support for sending streams directly from TcpClient. #2341
• Improved Websocket Connection to allow sending of huge payloads. Improved Websocket Connection to allow sending of huge payloads. #2342
• Added method to return a list of stations connected to an Access Point(AP). Added method to return a list of stations connected to an Access Point(AP) #2346
• Add SPIClass::setup method for ESP32 Add SPIClass::setup method for ESP32 #2360
• ESP32 improvements for c3 and s2 variants. ESP32 revisions to support esp32-c3 and s2 variants #2365

Bug fixes

• Fixed base64 encode length calculation to account for padding Fix base64 encode length calculation to account for padding #2307
• ESP32 network fixes ESP32/network fixes #2325
• Fixed Basic_IFS sample and TemplateStream Fix Basic_IFS sample and TemplateStream #2324
• Fixed bug in StreamTransformer - ending fragment not getting sent Fix bug in StreamTransformer - ending fragment not getting sent #2317
• Fixed vscode GDB launch configuration Fix vscode GDB launch configuration #2319
• No-WiFi flash fixes No-WiFi flash fixes #2353 , ESP8266 No-WiFi library updates #2347
• Fixed ArduinoJson6 serialisation bug and update from v6.13 to v6.15.2 Fix ArduinoJson6 serialisation bug and update from v6.13 to v6.15.2 #2363

Deprecations

• Disabled old MqttClient calls by default. Disable old MqttClient calls by default. #2343

Security

• Updated axTLS to latest version. Updated axTLS to latest version. #2372

All PRs merged in this release can be seen from here

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This discussion was created from the release 4.4.0 - codename M32.