Unicode by default. Join the 20th century. --- linux-2.6.11/drivers/char/vt.c.foo 2005-06-06 22:53:13.000000000 -0400 +++ linux-2.6.11/drivers/char/vt.c 2005-06-06 22:53:42.000000000 -0400 @@ -1443,7 +1443,7 @@ vc->vc_charset = 0; vc->vc_need_wrap = 0; vc->vc_report_mouse = 0; - vc->vc_utf = 0; + vc->vc_utf = 1; vc->vc_utf_count = 0; vc->vc_disp_ctrl = 0; --- linux-2.6.17.noarch/drivers/char/keyboard.c~ 2006-08-07 15:15:48.000000000 -0400 +++ linux-2.6.17.noarch/drivers/char/keyboard.c 2006-08-07 15:15:59.000000000 -0400 @@ -1370,7 +1370,7 @@ int __init kbd_init(void) kbd_table[i].lockstate = KBD_DEFLOCK; kbd_table[i].slockstate = 0; kbd_table[i].modeflags = KBD_DEFMODE; - kbd_table[i].kbdmode = VC_XLATE; + kbd_table[i].kbdmode = VC_UNICODE; } input_register_handler(&kbd_handler);