KDE saves my settings for keyboard layouts, including compose keys, but whenever I reboot (or possibly logout, let me check) I can't use the compose key function unless I load up kcontrol again, make and undo some changes (ie. clicking a checkbox twice), then pressing apply.

This seems to occur for XFCE or non-KDE window managers....I don't think it happens if I load KDE as my window manager; I just happened to use kde's tools because it is convenient.

Doing it manually each time is rather tedious, so what do I do to make it automatic? It seems to me that kcontrol only activates something, so I'm thinking I have to insert a line to activate a daemon or some other program in my init scripts?

Also, it seems they are not universal but profile-based - is there anyway to set a universal compose key for all users? This also piques me somewhat as I worry that firefox extensions I download, or fonts I install as root will not apply for all other users (hence when I get back into my usual account again they will not apply and hence installing them as root was useless!) Is there anyway to explicitly control what is universal and what applies to certain profiles? Of course after a universal setting is set, a profile-based setting to the contrary (by say a subordinate user) would override, right?