[TriLUG] Typing Accented Characters

[Brian Henning]

Hi Guys,
   This feels like a really stupid question, probably because it seems 
like such a trivial matter..  Here it is: How do I type accented 
characters in the KDE / X environment?  Like in Windows, I can hold Alt 
and type 0233 on the numberpad and get a lower-case E with an acute 
accent.  Cumbersome, but usable.  And when I need another accented 
character, I can use the character map, or just trial-and-error my way 
through other number codes until I find it.

So how do I do it in Linux?  Once in a while I will type an instant 
message in French, and would like to be able to accent the characters 
correctly.  But since it's only for the occasional random IM, I don't 
want a solution that involves changing some arcane setting that I will 
have to change back for normal English.

Thanks,
~Brian