Is there a current version of PCManFM-Qt that's ready to go?

I'm currently running 0.17.0, but on GitHub the latest version is 1.3 - so I'm wayyy behind. However, when I try apt, it tells me I have the latest version. Snap doesn't have it, neither does Flatpak.

I can download the project from GitHub, but I have no idea how to compile it for use. I've googled, but the instructions I've found don't seem to match what came from GitHub.

How can I install the latest version (1.3) of PCManFM-Qt on my system?

System specifications:

• Operating System: Kubuntu 22.04

• KDE Plasma Version: 5.24.7

• KDE Frameworks Version: 5.92.0

• Qt Version: 5.15.3

• Kernel Version: 5.15.0-75-generic (64-bit)

• Graphics Platform: X11

• Processors: 4 × Intel® Xeon® CPU E31225 @ 3.10GHz

• Memory: 15.5 GiB of RAM

• Graphics Processor: NV167

You've not provided the essential release details.

(a) Lubuntu 21.10 with LXQt 0.17

You're using an unsupported release of Lubuntu, thus upgrades are not available as we don't support it. Lubuntu 21.10 is EOL

• https://lubuntu.me/lubuntu-21-10-end-of-life-and-current-support-statuses/
• https://fridge.ubuntu.com/2022/07/19/ubuntu-21-10-impish-indri-end-of-life-reached-on-july-14-2022/

I suggest you re-install a supported system.

(b) Lubuntu 22.04 with LXQt 0.17

Lubuntu 22.04 that released with LXQt 0.17 as was announced, with the older LXQt from the prior release for the reasons as documented about by the Lubuntu team on the Lubuntu discourse (it was highlighted as a plea for more contributors!).

To upgrade it, you can use backports as the Lubuntu team have documented in numerous posts

• https://lubuntu.me/category/release/backports/

basically

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:lubuntu-dev/backports

but I'll recommend you read the documentation, and warnings provided by the Lubuntu team.

LXQt 1.2 will provide pcmanfm-qt package 1.2.1-0ubuntu3~ppa1 (ie. version 1.2 as found currently in Lubuntu 23.04) being the app which handles much of the LXQt desktop seen on screen & doubles as a file-manager (written by PCMan). The PPA could be used only to provide that package too.

Note: Upgrading to LXQt 1.2 or beyond will prevent you from being able to release-upgrade a 22.04 system to 22.10; only the earlier provided backported versions allowed for this (when backports increased beyond what 22.10 provided upgrade was no longer available); this will not impact upgrades to 24.04 or LTS to LTS in the future as we'll not upgrade backports that far.

This answer was written before your Kubuntu detail was known, pcmanfm-qt being such a critical component of LXQt; to me the question related to LXQt thus my chosen wording; but it will apply too if you only want selected parts of LXQt 1.2 (such as pcmanfm-qt), though the contents of the backports PPA was QA tested only as a whole on a Lubuntu/LXQt system given that's what it was packaged for

Update: LXQt 1.3 & pcmanfm-qt on 22.04

The Lubuntu backports PPA was updated to LXQt 1.3, which of course includes pcmanfm-qt (1.3 or 1.3.0-0ubuntu1~ppa1, being a key component of the displayed LXQt desktop seen by users) as can be read about here - https://lubuntu.me/jammy-backports-22-04-3-lxqt-1-3/

The Lubuntu team have made a decision not to support upgrading 22.04 to 23.04 etc where backports are utilized, thus usage of backports on 22.04 can achieve a newer LXQt than provided by 22.10 (now EOL) OR 23.04 (LXQt 1.3 being the LXQt currently found on mantic or what will be 23.10).