LXQt 2.4.0: A Leaner, Smarter Desktop for Everyone

LXQt 2.4.0: A Leaner, Smarter Desktop for Everyone

Table of contents:-

What Is LXQt?

Key Improvements in 2.4.0

Wrapping Up

What Is LXQt?

If you have ever wished your computer’s desktop would simply get out of the way and let you work, LXQt is the environment built precisely for that philosophy. Standing for “Lightweight X11 Desktop Environment – Qt”, LXQt is a modular, resource-friendly desktop that ships with BSD, Linux, Unix and a growing number of independent distributions worldwide. On 20 April 2026, the LXQt team unveiled version 2.4.0, and this release proves once again that “lightweight” never has to mean “light on features”.

Whether you are a seasoned systems administrator, a developer, a small-business owner or someone simply exploring open-source software and hardware for the first time, there is something genuinely useful here.

Key Improvements in 2.4.0

The headline for this release is refinement. While much of the heavy lifting arrived in point releases since November 2025, LXQt 2.4.0 bundles those enhancements into one polished package alongside fresh bug fixes and code cleanup. Importantly, the required Qt versions remain unchanged, so distributors building on Debian “Trixie” and its derivatives can still package it without upheaval.

File management through LibFM-Qt and PCManFM-Qt feels slicker: the save dialog now automatically highlights the base file name, letting you rename files instantly without extra clicks. For those running multi-monitor setups on Wayland, desktop item visibility is finally consistent across screens, with per-monitor “Hide Desktop Items” settings behaving exactly as you would expect.

Power management has received a thoughtful overhaul. LXQt-Powermanagement now offers separate monitor blanking timeouts for AC and battery power, trims redundant options from combo boxes and presents a cleaner overall layout.

It is the kind of quiet improvement that saves seconds dozens of times a day.

The panel’s volume plugin adopts a horizontal layout and can display every available audio sink. Tuning the default sink is as easy as scrolling the mouse wheel or dragging a finger across the touchpad on the panel icon. Fancy Menu filtering has grown smarter too: type “fir” and Firefox will appear first because the filter now prioritises strings that match the start of application titles. Wayland users will also appreciate that shortcut selectors in panel menus are sensibly disabled, replaced by a helpful tooltip explaining how to configure shortcuts in the compositor instead.

Session management now cleanly separates X11 and Wayland settings.

The Wayland tab only appears when lxqt-wayland-session is installed, keeping the interface uncluttered for everyone else. On Wayland, you can even bind a shortcut to lxqt-qdbus openmenu in your compositor settings to summon the main menu, a small but welcome bridge between desktop traditions.

LXQt Runner’s integrated calculator is more intuitive: it now activates when you type a number first, not just when you lead with an equals sign. Notifications behave more sensibly in “Do not disturb” mode, with transient alerts such as song titles no longer piling up in history. Meanwhile, xdg-desktop-portal-lxqt gains an access portal, improving interoperability with sandboxed applications.

For terminal devotees, QTerminal and QTermWidget bring a bundle of quality-of-life fixes: improved custom tab naming, a shortcut for the dropdown lock button, corrected bookmark file creation, a handsome new “Nord” theme, restored Open/Copy link actions, better URL pattern handling and highlighted search matches across the buffer. Under the hood, the team has implemented $XDG_STATE_HOME directory support, fixed NotShowIn=LXQt handling in .desktop files and added logout support via SystemdProvider.

Hands-On Notes

This release was demonstrated on Arch Linux running inside a virtual machine, where it performed briskly even with modest resources allocated.

It is a reassuring reminder that LXQt remains an excellent choice for revitalising older hardware, virtualised environments and modern workstations alike.

Wrapping Up

LXQt 2.4.0 is not a revolution; it is a carefully measured evolution. By polishing the details that users touch every day, the team has delivered a desktop that respects your time, your hardware and your workflow. If you value speed, clarity and a no-nonsense approach to computing, this release deserves a place on your system.

Disclaimer

All product names, trademarks and registered trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners. The Distrowrite Project strives for accuracy in every article published; however, information is provided in good faith and may be subject to change. Nothing in this post constitutes an endorsement or promotion of malware, viruses or any harmful content that could compromise the integrity of networks, devices or infrastructure. Readers are encouraged to verify details against official sources before making system changes.

References:-

- LXQt 2.4.0 Official Release Notes

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