LXQt Desktop, am I missing something here?

[TN.Frank]

I installed Manjaro LXQt today to give it a look. I'm always curious about different desktops just to see what they look like and how they function. Really, I just don't understand this desktop. Looks a lot like Xfce but without the functionality.  Is there a reason for it or were some folks just bored one day and figured they'd come up with a "new" desktop to play with???  Looks like I'm stickin' with good ol' Xfce because so far I've not found anything better.  Does anyone else feel that LXQt is just kind of a waste of time or am I just an ol' grouchy pants??

[excalibur1234]

you are right AT THIS POINT IN TIME.

lxqt was released as a first public alpha version. this is more a tech demo than a finished DE.
when it will be finished, it will hopefully be very similar (and as customizable) as xfce.

there is one big difference between xfce/lxde and lxqt: lxqt is based on the qt toolkit and xfce/lxde are based on gtk2 toolkit.
the lxqt team has already plans to make lxqt wayland compatible and they have the manpower to do it - xfce first wants to rewrite its DE in gtk3 (which is VERY slowly progressing) before thinking about wayland.

in my opinion, lxqt has a lot of potential (because qt5 has much more potential than gtk3 imho) and in it will be much more future-proof (with wayland support) than xfce.
i do not recommend to use it as a productive DE until its 1.0 version will be released.

[TN.Frank]

If they can get LXQt so that it'll work like Xfce then they'll have a winner. Hopefully they'll keep on keepin' on and get it tweaked a bit more and add more functionality to it. Also, if it turns out to be as light or even lighter then Xfce that'd be awesome as well.   Anyway, guess they're off to a good start, until they work on it a bit more I'm just going to stick with Xfce though. 

[Egavas]

I was playing around with Razor-qt/Lxqt they all work, but problem I found is lack of QT based applications. I have tried to build pure QT desktop but no awail. Web browsers based on QT are either slow or constantly crashing on me, so I have to install firefox/chromium, but they are based on Gtk. I haven't found archive manager based on Qt either. Anyway, as I said desktops works, but at this time they are pretty much useless, I really hope in the future there will be more QT applications.

Cheers!

[Esclapion]

As browser, Qupzilla is not bad at all, and stable enough. In development, but I use it.

[excalibur1234]

i agree that web browsers are a problem. my favorite is firefox (which is gtk based). chromium is NOT gtk based anymore, they use their own toolkit now.
here is a list with other web browsers:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_web_browsers
i think the otter browser has a lot of potential. but for me, the extensions/add-ons are most important for web browsers and firefox is the only browser offering the add-ons i want.

here is a list of qt programs for a fully featured qt desktop:
https://github.com/Razor-qt/razor-qt/wiki/3rd-party-applications
it includes an archive manager as well. peazip is an alternative as well.
if you want more choice, here is a list of file archivers:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_file_archivers
you have to check yourself, which are available in a qt version.


in general, i think that the number of qt programs will increase, because all qt programs also work on windows, mac, and mobile OSs and the qt documentation is supposed to be really good.
i see lxqt as a nice and lightweight alternative to kde in a couple of years. i do not want to use it right now, but it is (with kde) the DE i will try to use when i buy a new pc and/or i do not like xfce anymore.

[Esclapion]

Thanks for the links. So, FF would be better for you...

I hesitate to create a topic for a list of applications of lxqt. 

[Egavas]

Yeah qupzilla is ok, but it crashed on me couple of times either qt4 or qt5 based one. Next problem is flash plugin, it requires gtk2 so no go on pure qt desktops . Regarding the list of qt based apps, lots of them are not in manjaro repos, and majority in AUR repos fails to build (didn't bother tho troubleshoot why). Anyway I really like lxqt project and hopefuly it will get better and better.

Cheers!

[excalibur1234]

@Esclapion:
i - as a gtk based DE user - know mainly gtk based programs, because i try to install only them (because i do not want to install qt4 on my system - it is just too big).
i do not know a lot of qt based applications.

in fact, i think the hardest part about trying/testing kde or lxqt is not the new DE (it is just another DE with other properties/settings/options at different places), it is the new qt applications/programs.
i found the linked list of qt applications when i was searching for alternatives for gtk based programs.
this is a real obstacle to overcome.

i see these options:
1.) include all the basic qt programs (a leight version) for daily use within lxqt (the kde edition is doing it)
2.) put a list of qt programs (or a link to it) in the welcome screen
3.) make a forum thread "what is your favorite qt4/qt5 application/program?"
4.) make multiple thread "what is your favorite qt5 web browser?", "what is your favorite qt5 file archiver?", "what is your favorite qt5 torrent program?", etc.
5.) give this link to everybody who asks for qt programs: https://github.com/Razor-qt/razor-qt/wiki/3rd-party-applications
6.) include all the great qt applications in turbulence (once it is available and optimized for lxqt). this will definitely be the best long term solution.

i think the first option is right for kde, but not for a lightweight DE like lxqt.
i think option 3 and 4 are a good idea, when lxqt has its own forum section. until now, everything lxqt related is still posted in the lxde forum section...


i will try to install some qt applications in lxqt right now and see, whether the situation is really as bad as Egavas has described it.

[Esclapion]

OK, thanks for the help. One of the mains problems is that KDE applications dont work without kdebase or more of qt, so, they are unusable for me.

Kdm brings 180 Mo, Kcalc almost the same.

[excalibur1234]

i know. this is the reason i am waiting for kf5 (kde5), because it will become more modular.

i hope the problem will become less obvious when lxqt (and a lot of applications) support kf5. i doubt that it will ever disappear completely.

[excalibur1234]

i will try to install some qt applications in lxqt right now and see, whether the situation is really as bad as Egavas has described it.

so far, i installed the following programs successfully:

- peazip (AUR - i had to install one orphaned package)
- otter-browser (AUR)
- qpdfview (AUR)
- silicon empire (AUR)
- photoqt (AUR - i had to replace other files - this installation was not possible in pamac)
- tea
- clementine
- vlc
- transmission-qt
- keepassx
- acetoneiso2
- calibre
- quassel-client

some installations from the AUR took a couple of minutes, some required my intervention (e.g. replacing files or installing orphaned packages), but all installations succeeded.


btw, these programs are qt programs, but they are no kde programs. this means, they do not require kdebase to be installed. this is great.

[Esclapion]

Nice job. I will try on my side.

Maybe we can move your message on a qt-applications topic ?

[Lukimya]

Maybe we can move your message on a qt-applications topic ?

I couldn't find such topic..

[Esclapion]

I couldn't find such topic..

I created one, but it disappeared ? I will create a new one.

(edit)

Lol, I'm off with this heat.  See HERE.