thanks a lot, I always wondered about this. Ek-sê! <div class="gmail_quote">2009/1/14 Péter Nel <<a href="mailto:petern2@openweb.co.za">petern2@openweb.co.za</a>> <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 The special character (e-acute-accent) comes through as '?' when arriving from the mailing-list</blockquote><div>I also receive it perfectly, it might have to do with your mail client. </div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"> The default way in ubuntu is to use the "compose" key, I think the default key is GrAlt (right alt); e.g.: <compose> ' e   := é (e-acute) <compose> <shift-6> e  := <compose> ^ e  := ê (e-circumflex) <compose> a e := æ (ae) <compose> <shift-'> <shift-A>   := <compose> " A   :=  Ä (capital A with diaeresis/umlaut) </blockquote></div> I tried the above and only after some experimentation I figured out that I have to let go of the <compose> key after I pressed the punctuation key and before I press the letter. ie: "<compose>+^ e" in stead of  "<compose>+^+e" thanks a lot again, now I also know I have a compose key! I set mine now to be <alt gr> and also my super key (which used to be a win key, but its now painted black, cause I don't like that logo) regards marius