LXQt 2.0 will transition entirely to Qt6, with initial Wayland compatibility

The LXQt team, creators of the lightweight Qt desktop environment, recently shared updates on the development status of Qt6 and Wayland in a blog post. The team's primary focus is porting all components to the Qt6 libraries, effectively discontinuing any Qt5-based version of LXQt. This move forms part of a broader initiative to modernize and enhance LXQt, which promises significant advantages for users.

A developer preview illustrating the strides made in aligning the LXQt components with the new library underscores the team's commitment to the transition to Qt6. The forthcoming LXQt 2.0 release, slated for April 2024, will prominently feature a new default application menu called Fancy Menu. This menu will house all applications, favorites, and an enhanced search function.

The adoption of Qt6 libraries is expected to facilitate further development, particularly the implementation of Wayland-specific code in components such as the panel, desktop, runner, short keys, and notification daemon. While numerous applications and LXQt components are already fully functional on Wayland, others are partially operational, and some are not yet compatible.

The LXQt team points out that progress towards Wayland compatibility is ongoing, but the journey is long, necessitating patience and welcoming assistance. Despite the shift towards Wayland, the team assures that LXQt's modular philosophy will remain intact. LXQt is designed to operate with all compositors in the same manner as users can select their window manager.