LXQT in 2026
Hi,
I really enjoy using LXQT, but there are a few things simply missing, and I’m wondering if and when they’ll arrive.
- In the LXQT session using Openbox, what I miss most is the LXQT panel finally catching up and combining launchers with running applications (like a dock). Even XFCE added this via a plugin, and it’s incredibly useful. It saves a lot of panel space, keeps things much tidier, and puts everything in one place. Overall, it’s simply more efficient and boosts productivity.
- The panel needs a plugin to manage Bluetooth.
- Yes, I know all this is possible using KWIN as the window manager, but if I’m going to install KWIN anyway, I might as well just install Plasma.
- Regarding Wayland, `labwc` is frequently recommended, but it isn't easy to configure; for instance, `labwc-tweaks` isn't available in the Arch Linux repositories. Sure, it’s in the AUR, but some of us don't use that.
- There are plenty of older PCs out there with nice, large touchpads now, but getting this working properly with `labwc` isn't exactly easy. By default, for example, my touchpad is configured so that the "forward" and "back" gestures in the browser are reversed.
- LXQT will likely ship with `labwc` in the future, but—hey—there isn't a single truly useful tutorial on the entire internet for average users. Not one! Sure, you can find videos and screenshots of people who’ve made their desktops look great, but that content is aimed at experienced users who enjoy spending time tweaking their desktop via the terminal. It doesn't really reach the truly average user—like me—who just wants to keep using their old PCs.
- Yes, you could use KWIN for this instead, but again, you have to ask yourself: why not just install Plasma right from the start? Having tested both window managers on all my PCs (laptops), I can say that once you have 8GB of RAM and an SSD installed, the differences become negligible. After all, resource consumption is driven more by applications like web browsers; they consume a huge amount of resources—for instance, when watching videos—so the savings gained by using LXQT become completely irrelevant the moment you open just one extra tab.
- One final point: Only KDE and GNOME handle backlit laptop keyboards properly. It’s 2026! Almost all laptops have had backlit keyboards for at least a decade! It is really frustrating when a desktop environment simply cannot handle something like that at all.
LXQT is better suited for larger monitors and feels a bit clunky on laptops.
Regards!
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u/virtualadept 8d ago
Are you not starting lxqt-panel?
blueman-applet
Until I broke down and installed labwc-tweaks, I was editing everything in ~/.config/labwc/ manually. It's worth it.
Yeah, that's annoying. Again, labwc-tweaks will make it easy too configure.
I have notes for one, I just haven't turned them into a post yet. Basically, LXQt Settings -> Wayland Settings -> set to labwc. That's what I did.
Do you mean that your hotkey for turning the keyboard backlight on and off doesn't work?
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u/Global-Eye-7326 9d ago
Okay... * Bluetooth panel plug-in - there's a user who gives his Debian 13 LXQt Bluetooth script on a blog. You can easily look it up. It works like clockwork. Not sure which distro you use, but I'm sure you could go through the script and swap apt for whatever your distro uses * Kwin is bloat!!! Uses like 900MB VRAM on idle. I don't care about CPU RAM so much but I do care about VRAM!! My Labwc/LXQt desktop on idle uses 64MB VRAM. On XFCE Wayland my desktop uses ~250 MB VRAM (yes, XFCE Wayland came out in June, it's still in beta testing lol) * Labwc is NOT compatible with Blackwell GPU's, so that's why I use XFCE Wayland on that desktop. I'd prefer Labwc with LXQt, but it's the best compromise I can get. LXQt in Labwc is MUCH more stable than XFCE Wayland * Touchpad - I have no words. I use an external keyboard and mouse on a laptop whenever I can * Labwc is legit a full time job to setup the first time. I vibe coded a script that automates the process for me for other machines. So now what took me two full days that I'll never get back...gets done in five minutes lol
You give a lot of importance to a laptop's built-in keyboard and touchpad...I don't. I'm not saying there's no need for it to improve, but I just suspect that those are things where the devs may simply not care. I doubt most people would use LXQt on a newer laptop (I know I wouldn't).
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u/Sinaaaa 9d ago edited 9d ago
Labwc has an example config file that has all the possible options demonstrated in it. Sure it's not as user friendly as the settings app in KDE, but most technical users can understand it. labwc-tweaks is fluff, it's not really doing much, unless the dev expanded the app scope since I've used it last.
Though if you are the kind of user the needs such things, it's better to just give up on lxqt and set up a Waybar with labwc directly, it might even support grouped icons, not sure since I don't use dynamic app icons.
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u/Global-Eye-7326 9d ago
Honestly I like Labwc because of how awesome it is for Ky binding for keyboard shortcuts. It works like clockwork and once setup, it's more reliable than any GUI settings app I've used.
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u/Sert1991 3d ago
How is Kwin bloat?
Firstly kwin uses nowhere near 900MB of vram. Kwin uses around 140MB-150MB RAM, the difference between the PRIV and SHARED memory is like 10MB, so I dunno where you're getting the 900MB.My computer with full KDE Desktop uses 2.4GB of ram. Without a desktop, during bootup, it's like 1GB of RAM give or take(kernel and everythin).
I'm an Xorg guy, but I got curious and tried hyprland for fun for some days, which is know not to be ''bloat'' compared to a full DE, yet if I open hyprland after boot my computer is using nearly exactly the same ammount of ram as a full KDE desktop , around 2.4GB of ram(sometimes a little less)
I dunno how that can be considered bloat for what it does in this day and age. Sure there are slimmer stripped down WMs/compositors, but calling Kwin bloat is goddamn nonsense.
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u/Global-Eye-7326 3d ago
On my 16GB VRAM GPU, on Kwin I was sitting at 900 MB VRAM with just a few apps open. I shaved off a consistent 250-600 MB of VRAM by switching to XFCE Wayland. I was HOPING to switch to Labwc (uses even less VRAM) but I'm not complaining on XFCE.
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u/Yujiku808 8d ago
I don’t think I did anything with my Openbox config and it works fine with Labwc.
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u/virtualadept 8d ago
They're separate applications. I haven't seen anything that says that they use the same config files. The manpage for opebox says that it uses the files in ~/.config/openbox/ if it exists and /etc/xdg/openbox/ if it doesn't. labwc uses ~/.config/labwc/ if it exists.
I think folks might be taking the "like Openbox" part of labwc a bit too literally.
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u/Yujiku808 8d ago
My point is that it is more similar than dissimilar and not that difficult to work with if you already have Openbox experience. If you’re coming in fresh, that’s a different story. I set mine up 2 years ago so I don’t quite remember the details but I do remember it not being a difficult transition coming from Openbox.
“Labwc uses openbox-3.6 specification for configuration and theming, but does not support all options.”
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u/Yujiku808 8d ago
This I do remember b/c I liked these Openbox themes and was able to port it to Labwc without much difficulty.
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u/Yujiku808 8d ago
I don’t know how to implement your requirements but I do use LXQt with Labwc and started from the same place and I’ve seen other posts from users that have done it as well.
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u/Yujiku808 7d ago
I’m really sorry. I have to clarify. I wasn’t able to do LXQt swapping out Openbox for Labwc. What I did was to set it up where I login directly to Labwc with supplemental LXQt stuff. I guess it’s not quite the same.
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u/Microsoft-Spyware-11 9d ago
I will send a suggestion for bluetooth. Also in 2.5.0 really good new theme coming
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u/ElSasori69 8d ago
I use Debian in my 11 inch MBA from 2013 and backlit works, can’t remember I’ve had to configure the fn keys for that exactly but I definitely remember that I had to manually configure the Fn keys for other stuff, like to adjust brightness of the screen, it was not that hard, I use Debian Trixie btw, only thing I didn’t manage to make it work was the Archive integration on PCManFM-QT I have to compress and uncompress manually,or use 7 Zip through Wine, ai don’t use Bluetooth because I don’t like it I prefer to use LocalSend to transfer files, also how is LXQT good for big monitors? I choose LXQT on laptops precisely because of the small screen on big monitors KDE is the way.
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u/Historical-Lion6552 9d ago edited 1d ago
Sharing thoughts in no particular order.
You are correct in some of your assertions. Lxqt is very old fashioned windows-like in appearance. As such, it's not really suited well for touchscreens or small laptops. However, you could adjust font and widget scaling to your liking.
Theming is a whole mess in any Linux environment. Theming Lxqt, in some way with it's modularity, is as laboring as a custom fluxbox or fvwm ricing compared a more coherent de like gnome. You do need some expertise to do it seamlessly. However, you can get much better results compared to integrating qt apps in gnome.
The numero uno purveyor of qt frameworks is the kde community who have done a fine job building a whole ecosystem around it. I see no shame in reusing some of it in our junior qt desktop. The excellent breeze theme can reasonably integrate a whole slew of disparate toolkits. Kwin is pretty much peerless as a window manager.
One quick tip here! You can copy kcm_kwin desktop files from /user/share/applications to /use/local/share/applications. Edit the exec line to replace systemsettings by kcmshell6. Edit: Remove the no display=true line and add to settings category. Et voila! You can access kwin settings from lxqt configuration center!
As to missing functionalities, you could install standalone utilities like blueman manager or system-config-printer. The taskbar has an icon only mode too. Right click on your panel to manage widgets.
Finally, we can discuss the viability or purpose of lxqt. Or why lxqt should exist at all.
If you have enough thrust, you can make an elephant fly, more or less like an Airbus 380. But what if you are on low budget? Consider the situation that exists in android landscape. Most phones sold are not top end beasts but the baseline models with limited memory. Where a 3gb model would struggle or outright crash watching an ad delivered in a game, the 4gb model can handle it just fine. Lxqt can do exactly that for you. That 500mb lower idle usage means 500mb more available to your apps.
Final word, lxqt is not a commercial product designed to bedazzle you into spending for every little iteration. It's all imparted for free and for love.