The guide takes you through a quick three‑step method to install PhotoQT on Ubuntu 22.04, beginning with a check of the official repository for an available package. If the package is present, a single sudo apt install command brings in all dependencies and places the viewer under your Images menu; if not, it offers snap and flatpak alternatives that deliver the latest builds without altering your base system. Once you launch PhotoQT you’ll see how to adjust settings such as default zoom, slideshow behavior and custom hotkeys so that raw images display at an optimal size and navigation stays keyboard‑driven. In short, installing through apt is the cleanest route, while snap or flatpak act as reliable fallbacks, keeping image browsing fast, lightweight and free of bloat.

How to Install PhotoQT on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

You’ll learn a quick, three‑step method to get the ultra‑lightweight PhotoQT image viewer up and running on your 22.04 machine, plus a couple of handy alternatives if the official package isn’t in your repos yet.

Why you might need this

I’ve seen users report that their old DNG files no longer open cleanly after the 22.04 upgrade. PhotoQT is a modern fork of qView that keeps those raw formats intact while giving you full‑screen, keyboard‑driven navigation. If your photos feel like they’re stuck in an ancient viewer, this will change that.

1. Check the official Ubuntu repository

Open a terminal and run:

sudo apt update
apt-cache policy photqt

If the output shows a version number (for example, “Installed: 0.6‑1”), you’re in luck. The package is already packaged for 22.04.

Why this matters? Installing from the official repo guarantees that all dependencies are satisfied automatically and that updates come through apt upgrade with no extra hassle.

2. Install it

Once the repository check confirms availability, simply do:

sudo apt install photqt

That’s all there is to it. PhotoQT will drop into your “Images” menu and appear as a sleek, minimal viewer with keyboard shortcuts like j/k for next/previous and f for fullscreen.

3. Verify the installation

Launch it via the application launcher or by typing:

photqt

If you see a black screen with your image sliding in, congratulations—you’re done. If not, proceed to the fallback methods below.

If the package is missing: Snap

Ubuntu 22.04 ships with Snap pre‑installed, so you can try that route.

sudo snap install photqt

Snap will handle dependencies in a sandboxed environment, which means fewer conflicts but also more disk space usage. It’s a solid fallback if apt refuses to cooperate.

Why choose Snap? When the official repo lags behind the latest release, Snap often provides the newest version straight from the developers’ build pipeline.

Or go Flatpak

Flatpak pulls packages from Flathub, which is another common distribution channel for desktop apps.

1. Install Flatpak if you don’t already have it:

sudo apt install flatpak

2. Add the Flathub remote (if you haven’t done so before):

flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

3. Install PhotoQT:

flatpak install flathub org.photqt.PhotoQt

Flatpak is great when you want the absolute latest build and are okay with the sandbox overhead.

Tweaking a few settings

Once it’s installed, launch PhotoQT and hit Ctrl+Shift+S to open the Settings dialog. From there you can:

• Set default zoom: Keep your images at a comfortable size when they first load.
• Enable/disable slideshow: Quick auto‑play for photo walks.
• Configure hotkeys: If the defaults feel off, assign what makes sense for you.

I’ve found that setting Ctrl+Shift+S to “Fit to screen” is a lifesaver when dealing with large RAW files; otherwise they get stuck in an awkward 100 % view and you have to keep resizing.

Bottom line

If the package exists in your repo, installing via apt is the cleanest route. Snap or Flatpak are reliable backups if you hit a wall. PhotoQT keeps your image browsing snappy, keyboard‑friendly, and free from the bloat of heavier viewers.