Qt 6 Download: How to Get and Install the Latest Version of Qt
Qt is a cross-platform framework that enables you to develop applications with intuitive user interfaces for multiple devices and platforms. Qt 6 is the latest version of Qt and the productivity platform for the future. In this article, you will learn how to download and install Qt 6 on your computer.
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What is Qt 6 and why should you use it?
Qt 6 is the first major release of Qt in eight years. It provides a higher degree of freedom to implement new features, functionality, and better support for today's and tomorrow's requirements. Qt 6 is a continuation of the Qt 5 series and should not be disruptive for users to migrate on. When creating Qt 6, the developers have especially wanted to ensure that the core values that Qt has for its customers and users are adhered to:
Its cross-platform nature, allowing users to deploy their applications to all desktop, mobile, and embedded platforms using one technology and from a single code base
Its scalability from low-end, single-purpose devices to high-end complex desktop applications or connected systems
World-class APIs and tools and documentation, simplifying the creation of applications and devices
Maintainability, stability, and compatibility, allowing to maintain large code bases with minimal effort
A large developer ecosystem with more than 1.5 million users
Qt 6 features and benefits
Qt 6 offers many new features and improvements that make it more powerful, productive, and user-friendly. Some of the key changes in Qt 6 include:
Leveraging C++17: Qt 6 takes advantage of the latest C++ standard features, such as constexpr, fold expressions, structured bindings, etc. This allows for more expressive and efficient code, as well as better compatibility with other C++ libraries.
Next generation QML: QML is a declarative language for creating dynamic user interfaces with Qt Quick. Qt 6 introduces a leaner, yet more powerful QML language that supports more C++ types, enums, templates, lambda expressions, etc. It also provides better error handling, debugging, and testing capabilities.
New graphics architecture: Qt 6 has a new graphics architecture that abstracts away the underlying graphics APIs (such as OpenGL, Vulkan, Metal, etc.) and provides a unified interface for rendering 2D and 3D graphics. This allows for more flexibility, performance, and portability across different platforms and devices.
Unified 2D and 3D for Qt Quick: Qt Quick now supports both 2D and 3D elements in the same scene graph, enabling seamless integration of vector graphics, images, text, animations, particles, etc. with 3D models, materials, lights, cameras, etc. This allows for creating rich and immersive user experiences with less code.
CMake build system: CMake is a cross-platform build system that simplifies the configuration and compilation of complex projects. Qt 6 supports CMake as the primary build system for both applications and libraries. CMake provides better integration with other tools and frameworks, such as IDEs, testing frameworks, code analysis tools, etc.
Multiple improvements throughout: Qt 6 also brings many enhancements to existing modules and components, such as multimedia, network, SQL, widgets, print support, etc. For example, Qt Multimedia has been re-architected for better cross-platform support, Qt Network has added support for HTTP/3, Qt SQL has added support for JSON data type, Qt 6 comparison with Qt 5
Qt 6 is not a complete rewrite of Qt 5, but rather a refinement and modernization of the existing code base. Qt 6 aims to be compatible with Qt 5 as much as possible, while also introducing some breaking changes that are necessary for the future development of Qt. Some of the main differences between Qt 6 and Qt 5 are:
Qt 6 requires a C++17 compiler, while Qt 5 supports C++11 and later
Qt 6 has removed some deprecated modules and features from Qt 5, such as Qt Script, Qt WebKit, Qt Quick Controls 1, etc.
Qt 6 has restructured some modules and features from Qt 5, such as Qt Core, Qt GUI, Qt Widgets, etc. For example, some classes have been moved to different modules, some enums have been changed to enum classes, some signals and slots have been renamed or removed, etc.
Qt 6 has added some new modules and features that are not available in Qt 5, such as Qt Quick 3D, Qt Shader Tools, Qt State Machine Framework, etc.
For more details on the changes and compatibility between Qt 6 and Qt 5, you can refer to the official documentation.
How to download Qt 6 online installer
The easiest way to get and install Qt 6 is to use the online installer. The online installer is a small executable that downloads and installs the latest version of Qt and its components on your computer. To use the online installer, you need to follow these steps:
Create a Qt account
The online installer requires you to have a Qt account to access the downloads. If you don't have one already, you can create one for free on the . You will need to provide your name, email address, password, and agree to the terms and conditions. You will also receive a verification email to activate your account.
Choose the appropriate installer for your OS
The online installer is available for Windows, Linux, and macOS. You can download the installer that matches your operating system from the . The installer file size is about 20 MB.
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Select the components that you need
Once you run the installer, you will need to log in with your Qt account credentials. Then, you will see a list of components that you can choose to install. The components include different versions of Qt (such as Qt 6.2.0), different platforms (such as Desktop or Android), different tools (such as Qt Creator or Qt Designer), and different add-ons (such as Qt Charts or Qt Data Visualization). You can select the components that you need for your project and deselect the ones that you don't need. The installer will show you the total disk space required for the selected components.
After selecting the components, you can proceed with the installation. The installer will download and install the selected components on your computer. Depending on your internet speed and disk space, this may take some time.
How to install Qt 6 from source packages
If you prefer to build Qt 6 from source code, you can also download the source packages from the . The source packages contain all the code and files needed to compile and install Qt 6 on your computer. To install Qt 6 from source packages, you need to follow these steps:
Download the source packages from Qt website
You can find the source packages for different versions of Qt on the . For example, if you want to download the source package for Qt 6.2.0, you can find it under Official_Releases/Qt/6.2/6.2.0/single/. The source package file size is about 1 GB.
Extract the packages and configure the build options
Once you download the source package, you need to extract it to a folder on your computer. Then, you need to open a terminal or command prompt and navigate to that folder. There, you will find a file called configure.bat (for Windows) or configure (for Linux or macOS). This file allows you to configure various options for building Qt 6, such as:
<li The target platform and compiler that you want to use
The modules and features that you want to enable or disable
The installation path and prefix that you want to use
The debug or release mode that you want to use
Any other customizations that you want to apply
You can run the configure file with the --help option to see the full list of available options and their descriptions. For example, if you want to build Qt 6 for Windows using Visual Studio 2019, with only the essential modules and features, and install it to C:\Qt\6.2.0, you can run the following command:
configure -platform win32-msvc2019 -prefix C:\Qt\6.2.0 -skip qtwebengine -skip qtwebview -skip qtwebchannel -skip qtwebsockets -skip qtnetworkauth -skip qtlocation -skip qtpositioning -skip qt3d -skip qtcharts -skip qtdatavis3d -skip qtlottie -skip qtmultimedia -skip qtpurchasing -skip qtquick3d -skip qtquicktimeline -skip qtremoteobjects -skip qtscxml -skip qtsensors -skip qtserialbus -skip qtserialport -skip qtspeech -skip qtvirtualkeyboard -skip qtwayland
The configure file will check your system for the required dependencies and tools, and generate the appropriate makefiles or project files for building Qt 6.
Build and install Qt 6
After configuring the build options, you can proceed with building Qt 6. Depending on your platform and compiler, you can use different commands to build Qt 6. For example, if you are using Visual Studio 2019 on Windows, you can run the following command:
nmake
If you are using GCC on Linux, you can run the following command:
make
If you are using Xcode on macOS, you can run the following command:
xcodebuild
The build process may take some time, depending on your system specifications and the number of modules and features that you have selected. Once the build is complete, you can install Qt 6 to the specified installation path by running the following command:
nmake install
This will copy the Qt 6 libraries, headers, tools, and documentation to the installation path. You can then use Qt 6 for developing your applications.
Conclusion
Qt 6 is a powerful and productive framework for creating cross-platform applications with intuitive user interfaces. You can download and install Qt 6 using either the online installer or the source packages. The online installer is easier and faster, but it requires an internet connection and a Qt account. The source packages are more flexible and customizable, but they require more steps and tools to build and install Qt 6. You can choose the method that suits your needs and preferences.
FAQs
What are the system requirements for Qt 6?
The system requirements for Qt 6 vary depending on the platform and compiler that you use. You can find the detailed system requirements for each platform on the .
How can I update Qt 6 to a newer version?
If you have installed Qt 6 using the online installer, you can update it to a newer version by running the online installer again and selecting the new version from the list of components. If you have installed Qt 6 from source packages, you need to download the new source packages and repeat the installation process.
How can I uninstall Qt 6 from my computer?
If you have installed Qt 6 using the online installer, you can uninstall it by running the online installer again and selecting the uninstall option. If you have installed Qt 6 from source packages, you need to manually delete the installation folder and any other files or settings related to Qt 6.
How can I migrate my existing Qt 5 projects to Qt 6?
Qt 6 is designed to be compatible with Qt 5 as much as possible, but there are some breaking changes that may require some modifications to your code. You can use the for more details and tips on how to migrate your projects to Qt 6.
Where can I find more resources and support for Qt 6?
You can find more resources and support for Qt 6 on the , such as:
The , which provides comprehensive information and tutorials on how to use Qt 6
The , which provides news and updates on Qt 6 development and features
The , which provide a place to ask questions and discuss Qt 6 with other users and developers
The , which allows you to report and track issues and bugs related to Qt 6
The , which allows you to contribute and review code changes for Qt 6
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