How to install LXQT

Is it possible to test LXQt on Ubuntu Mate 16.04?

I tried to install lubuntu-qt-desktop package but it was not found. Can I enable the lubuntu repository to test?

You may be the first to try this, but it looks doable :slight_smile:

m1@m1:~$ sudo apt install --no-install-recommends lxqt
[sudo] password for m1: 
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
The following additional packages will be installed:
  libfm-data libfm-extra4 libfm-gtk-data libfm-gtk4 libfm-modules libfm-qt2
  libfm4 libkf5screen6 libkf5solid5 libkf5solid5-data libkf5windowsystem-data
  libkf5windowsystem5 liblxqt-data liblxqt-globalkeys-ui0 liblxqt-globalkeys0
  liblxqt0 libmenu-cache-bin libmenu-cache3 libpolkit-qt5-1-1
  libqt5printsupport5 libqt5script5 libqt5xdg1 libqt5xml5 libqtermwidget5-0
  libstatgrab10 libsysstat-qt5-0 libxcb-dpms0 libxcb-screensaver0 lximage-qt
  lxmenu-data lxqt-about lxqt-admin lxqt-common lxqt-config lxqt-core
  lxqt-globalkeys lxqt-notificationd lxqt-openssh-askpass lxqt-panel
  lxqt-policykit lxqt-powermanagement lxqt-qtplugin lxqt-runner lxqt-session
  lxqt-sudo pcmanfm-qt qterminal qtermwidget5-data xarchiver
Suggested packages:
  libfm-tools nautilus-actions calibre juffed nomacs qtpass quassel
  | quassel-client trojita | claws-mail vokoscreen zim arj lhasa rar rpm unar
Recommended packages:
  kwayland-integration qtwayland5 cmst compton-conf obconf-qt screengrab
  smplayer smtube qlipper qpdfview qps qupzilla | x-www-browser audacious
  | clementine | qmmp oxygen-icon-theme xscreensaver
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  libfm-data libfm-extra4 libfm-gtk-data libfm-gtk4 libfm-modules libfm-qt2
  libfm4 libkf5screen6 libkf5solid5 libkf5solid5-data libkf5windowsystem-data
  libkf5windowsystem5 liblxqt-data liblxqt-globalkeys-ui0 liblxqt-globalkeys0
  liblxqt0 libmenu-cache-bin libmenu-cache3 libpolkit-qt5-1-1
  libqt5printsupport5 libqt5script5 libqt5xdg1 libqt5xml5 libqtermwidget5-0
  libstatgrab10 libsysstat-qt5-0 libxcb-dpms0 libxcb-screensaver0 lximage-qt
  lxmenu-data lxqt lxqt-about lxqt-admin lxqt-common lxqt-config lxqt-core
  lxqt-globalkeys lxqt-notificationd lxqt-openssh-askpass lxqt-panel
  lxqt-policykit lxqt-powermanagement lxqt-qtplugin lxqt-runner lxqt-session
  lxqt-sudo pcmanfm-qt qterminal qtermwidget5-data xarchiver
0 upgraded, 50 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 8,487 kB of archives.
After this operation, 28.1 MB of additional disk space will be used.
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For the full package

m1@m1:~$ sudo apt install lxqt
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree       
Reading state information... Done
The following additional packages will be installed:
  audacious audacious-plugins audacious-plugins-data compton-conf kwayland-data kwayland-integration libaudcore3 libaudgui3 libaudqt0 libaudtag2 libbonoboui2-0
  libbonoboui2-common libcue1 libfm-data libfm-extra4 libfm-gtk-data libfm-gtk4 libfm-modules libfm-qt2 libfm4 libgnome2-0 libgnome2-bin libgnomecanvas2-0
  libgnomecanvas2-common libgnomeui-0 libgnomeui-common libguess1 libid3tag0 libimlib2 libjpeg-progs libjpeg9 libkf5idletime5 libkf5screen6 libkf5solid5 libkf5solid5-data
  libkf5waylandclient5 libkf5windowsystem-data libkf5windowsystem5 liblxqt-data liblxqt-globalkeys-ui0 liblxqt-globalkeys0 liblxqt0 libmenu-cache-bin libmenu-cache3
  libobrender32 libobt2 libpolkit-qt5-1-1 libpoppler-qt5-1 libqt5opengl5 libqt5printsupport5 libqt5script5 libqt5waylandclient5 libqt5webkit5 libqt5xdg1 libqt5xml5
  libqtermwidget5-0 libqupzilla1 libsidplayfp4 libstatgrab10 libsysstat-qt5-0 libxcb-dpms0 libxcb-screensaver0 lximage-qt lxmenu-data lxqt-about lxqt-admin lxqt-common
  lxqt-config lxqt-core lxqt-globalkeys lxqt-notificationd lxqt-openssh-askpass lxqt-panel lxqt-policykit lxqt-powermanagement lxqt-qtplugin lxqt-runner lxqt-session
  lxqt-sudo obconf-qt oxygen-icon-theme oxygen5-icon-theme pcmanfm-qt qlipper qpdfview qpdfview-djvu-plugin qpdfview-ps-plugin qpdfview-translations qps qterminal
  qtermwidget5-data qtwayland5 qupzilla screengrab smplayer smplayer-l10n smplayer-themes smtube xarchiver xscreensaver xscreensaver-data
Suggested packages:
  libfm-tools nautilus-actions sidplayfp calibre juffed nomacs qtpass quassel | quassel-client trojita | claws-mail vokoscreen zim arj lhasa rar rpm unar xfishtank
  xdaliclock xscreensaver-gl fortune qcam | streamer gdm3 | kdm-gdmcompat
Recommended packages:
  cmst perl5
The following NEW packages will be installed:
  audacious audacious-plugins audacious-plugins-data compton-conf kwayland-data kwayland-integration libaudcore3 libaudgui3 libaudqt0 libaudtag2 libbonoboui2-0
  libbonoboui2-common libcue1 libfm-data libfm-extra4 libfm-gtk-data libfm-gtk4 libfm-modules libfm-qt2 libfm4 libgnome2-0 libgnome2-bin libgnomecanvas2-0
  libgnomecanvas2-common libgnomeui-0 libgnomeui-common libguess1 libid3tag0 libimlib2 libjpeg-progs libjpeg9 libkf5idletime5 libkf5screen6 libkf5solid5 libkf5solid5-data
  libkf5waylandclient5 libkf5windowsystem-data libkf5windowsystem5 liblxqt-data liblxqt-globalkeys-ui0 liblxqt-globalkeys0 liblxqt0 libmenu-cache-bin libmenu-cache3
  libobrender32 libobt2 libpolkit-qt5-1-1 libpoppler-qt5-1 libqt5opengl5 libqt5printsupport5 libqt5script5 libqt5waylandclient5 libqt5webkit5 libqt5xdg1 libqt5xml5
  libqtermwidget5-0 libqupzilla1 libsidplayfp4 libstatgrab10 libsysstat-qt5-0 libxcb-dpms0 libxcb-screensaver0 lximage-qt lxmenu-data lxqt lxqt-about lxqt-admin
  lxqt-common lxqt-config lxqt-core lxqt-globalkeys lxqt-notificationd lxqt-openssh-askpass lxqt-panel lxqt-policykit lxqt-powermanagement lxqt-qtplugin lxqt-runner
  lxqt-session lxqt-sudo obconf-qt oxygen-icon-theme oxygen5-icon-theme pcmanfm-qt qlipper qpdfview qpdfview-djvu-plugin qpdfview-ps-plugin qpdfview-translations qps
  qterminal qtermwidget5-data qtwayland5 qupzilla screengrab smplayer smplayer-l10n smplayer-themes smtube xarchiver xscreensaver xscreensaver-data
0 upgraded, 102 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Need to get 60.9 MB of archives.
After this operation, 158 MB of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n]
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thanks.

gave it a shot and also had to install openbox.

lxqt didnt work with my two monitors of different resolutions, so it was a good 2 minute test. back to mate now.

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To install LXQT, I installed Ubuntu server with no desktop, then installed LXQT over the top with the following:

(update software sources)
sudo apt-get update

(update installed software)
sudo apt-get upgrade

(upgrade installed software)
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

(install a graphical windows server)
sudo apt-get install xorg

(install a graphical user interface for login)
sudo apt-get install lxdm

(install the lxqt desktop)
sudo apt-get install lxqt

Then, there is a fair bit of secondary building to do. But, the above will get you going.

I can see LXQT as becoming superior to LXDE in due course. But it is not quite there yet, in my opinion. Though very nearly. It’s just slightly flaky round the edges still. In terms of memory usage, it is very slightly more hungry than LXDE. So, for the moment, I would stick with LXDE in Lubuntu. Indeed, that is what I have done with my notepad.

Though, I should add this final qualification to all of the above:

People often cite something like LXDE or LXQT as being the lightest desktop compared to something like MATE. This is true, but only in specific circumstances. That is to say, if I install a vanilla LXDE desktop and compare it to a vanilla Mate desktop, it is certainly true the LXDE desktop will run at around 200Mb in RAM as compared to MATE, which will run around 500MB. So, that’s a big difference of 300MB and is less than half as hungry right?

Well…only so long as you do not run anything else.

That is to say, if you have a compositor, your are running standard office software, you have Skype, Thunderbird and all the rest, all of these things use up the same resources no matter what desktop they are running in. Pretty soon, the amount that your underlying desktop environment is consuming of your RAM and CPU starts to represent a diminishing percentage of the total used. Thus, when I have done a direct comparison of, say, Lubuntu versus Ubuntu Mate with all of my usual applications running, the difference in RAM usage becomes around 700Mb for Lubuntu versus around 1000MB for Ubuntu MATE. At which point, the difference in consumption levels between the two begins to look less significant.

So, by all means go for the lightest desktop to conserve resources. I do this myself for my weaker/smaller machines. But, be aware of the limitations in such an approach.

Strange
OpenBox is included in lxqt-core, should not of been necessary to install it.

http://packages.ubuntu.com/xenial/lxqt

On reflection, I think I had that problem as well v3xx. So, he/she may be right that Openbox has to be installed as well. At least in the Ubuntu LXQT. Though I can’t be certain if I am not mixing that up with a Debian install of LXQT I did…!

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[quote=“stevecook172001, post:4, topic:8216, full:true”]
That is to say, if I install a vanilla LXDE desktop and compare it to a vanilla Mate desktop, it is certainly true the LXDE desktop will run at around 200Mb in RAM as compared to MATE, which will run around 500MB. So, that’s a big difference of 300MB and is less than half as hungry right?

Well…only so long as you do not run anything else.[/quote]

MATE is actually a lot less hungry than 500 MB. That’s the default Ubuntu-MATE installation with its Startup Applications, panel applets and such, which was configured as part of the Ubuntu experience, but is not necessarily what MATE requires to function properly and that better matches a typical LXDE installation.

My Ubuntu-MATE machine fully boots up to 364 Mb with Artha, Conky and Tilda as startup applications. Out of this list, because I don’t need them, are Backup Monitor, Blueman Applet, Compton, Onboard, Orca screen Reader, Power Manager, Screensaver and Synapse.

I remember a couple of years ago when I was still only on Arch Box, I was growing a little tired of OpenBox and decided to test a few alternatives. I distinctly remember then, that a typical installation of MATE and LXDE won’t make much of a difference. It’s around 100 Mb (not 300Mb). For someone running on 4, 8 or 16Gb ram, that is essentially a meaningless difference, but even for someone running on a 2Gb or 1Gb RAM, they’ll find LXDE does not offer a significant advantage.

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In which case, given the addition of the kinds of applications I mentioned, that difference becomes even less significant as a percentage of total RAM used. That is to say, in an ideal desktop environment, I nearly always have the following applications if they have not come as standard.

LibreOffice
Thunderbird
Compton
Skype
Syncthing
Dropbox
Qbittorrent
Shutter

Of those, I always have Skype, Comton, Syncthing, Dropbox, Qbittorrent and Shutter up and running in the system tray. For me, these applications represent a far bigger proportion of total resources used than the desktop itself.

For my notepad, it is a different story. I run that very lean with few, if any applications other than a browser and simple text editor. Under such lean circumstances, difference in resource consumption, even relatively minor ones, between desktops can make the difference between streaming Internet video working well or not and, in the case of my notepad, does make a difference. With the Ubuntu Mate desktop, full screen streaming video is more or less unwatchable due to sound and video quickly getting out of sync. It fares slightly better with Linux Mint Mate, which runs slightly leaner and Debian installed from scratch with the MATE desktop is the leanest and is more or less watchable. However, with Lubuntu, streaming video works without issue. I should say, my notepad is an Acer ONE with 2 GB of Ram.