Could it be a problem with the `file coding' feature? uname -a: Linux bittersweet 2.0.33 #2 Wed Jun 10 00:32:17 PDT 1998 i586 unknown configure '--compiler=egcc' '--cflags=-mpentium -O3 -g' '--with-gnu-make' '--gung-ho' '--with-menubars=lucid' '--with-scrollbars=lucid' '--with-dialogs=athena3d' '--with-sound=both' '--with-gpm=no' '--with-site-lisp=yes' '--package-path=~/.xemacs/::/usr/local/src/XEmacs/Packages' '--infopath=/usr/info:/usr/local/info:~/.xemacs/info' '--debug=no' '--error-checking=none' '--with-file-coding' '--with-clash-detection' '--lockdir=/var/lock/emacs' XEmacs 21.0 "Swedish Landrace" configured for `i586-pc-linux'. Where should the build process find the source code? /usr/local/src/XEmacs/xemacs-21-Swedish_Landrace What installation prefix should install use? /usr/local What operating system and machine description files should XEmacs use? `s/linux.h' and `m/intel386.h' What compiler should XEmacs be built with? egcc -mpentium -O3 -g Should XEmacs use the GNU version of malloc? yes (Using Doug Lea's new malloc from the GNU C Library.) Should XEmacs use the relocating allocator for buffers? yes What window system should XEmacs use? x11 Where do we find X Windows header files? /usr/X11R6/include Where do we find X Windows libraries? /usr/X11R6/lib Compiling in support for XAUTH. Compiling in support for XPM images. Compiling in support for X-Face message headers. Compiling in support for JPEG image conversion. Compiling in support for PNG image conversion. Compiling in support for TIFF image conversion. Compiling in both network and native sound support. Compiling in support for Berkeley DB. Compiling in support for GNU DBM. Compiling in support for ncurses. Compiling in File coding support. Compiling in support for OffiX. Compiling in EXPERIMENTAL support for Drag'n'Drop ( OffiX ). Compiling in support for proper session-management. Using Lucid menubars. Using Lucid scrollbars. Using Athena-3d dialog boxes. Compiling in DLL support. Clash detection will use "/var/lock/emacs" for locking files. movemail will use "dot-locking" for locking mail spool files. Using Lisp_Objects with minimal tagbits. Using indexed lrecord implementation.