LXQt 2.2 arrives with significant Wayland improvements and new features
The lightweight LXQt desktop environment continues to evolve, and with the arrival of version 2.2, important enhancements are introduced, especially in Wayland integration and optimization of its core components.
One of the standout features is the ability to define the compositor and screen locker at the system or distribution level, offering greater flexibility in configuration. Monitor management has also been improved by identifying screens by name instead of number, making multi-monitor setups more seamless. Additionally, compatibility with the latest stable versions of supported Wayland compositors is ensured.
Among the Wayland-specific adjustments, the LXQt Panel can now be configured independently on each monitor, the QTerminal dropdown window has been optimized, and screen configurations in kwin_wayland function correctly even with scaling applied. A global shortcut handler via D-Bus has also been introduced.
The PCManFM-Qt file manager has received several improvements, including new custom options for terminals, an advanced bulk rename function with string replacement, and a refined “Open With” menu that lists applications compatible with multiple file MIME types. Additionally, new keyboard shortcuts have been added for changing view modes and enhancing navigation.
Other key updates include a new setting to activate subterminals when hovering over them, the ability to automatically hide the mouse cursor after inactivity, improvements in application transparency in X11, and support for excluding applications from the “Taskbar” widget. Power management enhancements have also been implemented, featuring a new daemon that simplifies power profile administration on battery-powered devices and enabling automatic suspend when closing the laptop lid.
For those looking to download this version, LXQt 2.2 is available as source code on the project's official GitHub page. Otherwise, users will need to wait for distribution maintainers to update LXQt packages.
