Just over half a year after the previous 1.4 release, LXQt 2.0 has officially launched, bringing updates and improvements to this lightweight desktop environment powered by Qt.
But the big news is hidden under the hood. As we informed you just ten days ago, the LXQt developers have pulled out all the stops to make the desktop environment Wayland-compatible. Furthermore, this release transitions more components to Qt version 6.6 or higher.
Key Updates in LXQt 2.0
A significant aspect of the LXQt 2.0 release is its enhanced compatibility with Wayland, the next-generation display protocol for a compositor to talk directly with its clients and predecessors like Xorg.
In light of this, key applications like PCManFM-Qt’s desktop module, LXQt Runner, and LXQt Desktop Notifications are now fully prepared to work under Wayland environments and support the layer shell protocol.
For users and developers working with both Qt5 and Qt6, the LXQt team has provided solutions to allow these versions to coexist. This includes parallel installation of libraries like “libqtxdg,” “lxqt-qtplugin,” and “libfm-qt,” which are essential for integrating LXQt’s features with Qt5-based applications.
Among the main highlights of LXQt 2.0 is the brand-new Fancy Menu, a sleek upgrade to the traditional application menu. It organizes applications into categories such as “Favorites” and “All Applications” and includes an improved search function, making it easier and faster for users to find the needed apps.
However, despite the progress, some applications, like QTerminal, are still catching up. The terminal emulator’s Qt6 port is delayed due to technical challenges, though its Qt5 version remains available for use.
At the same time, the desktop module in PCManFM-Qt is now fully ready for use with Wayland, promising a more integrated and smoother desktop experience for users.
From now on, the LXQt developers have set their sights on bringing full Wayland integration in their next major release, LXQt 2.1, continuing the transition and improvement seen in the current release.
Although some components like ScreenGrab and certain LXQt Panel plugins are not yet fully adapted to Wayland, alternatives are available, making a full LXQt-Wayland session feasible for advanced users.
For Linux distributions looking to incorporate LXQt 2.0, there’s a note to consider adjustments in package naming to facilitate parallel installations of Qt5 and Qt6 versions of key components, ensuring a smooth transition for users upgrading to this new version.
Eager to try the new desktop environment? Unfortunately, at the time of writing, it is only available as source code, and no precompiled packages are available for the various Linux distros.
The good news, however, is that in the coming days and weeks, users of rolling-release distros like Arch, openSUSE Tumbleweed, Gentoo, and so on will be the first to get and enjoy the new LXQt 2.0.
Refer to the release announcement for more information about all changes in the new version.
