I'm running SuSE 9.1 (very nice) and the only problem I have is the lack of Umlauts. I need them pretty frequently, but I currently am solving the problem by copy pasting from websites. I google search for "fuer mich" and results come up as "für mich" and I copy it. I also have the Wikipedia entry "Umlaut" bookmarked as well.

The real annoyance is that with Windows I could hold down alt and hit 0246 and BAM! I'd have an o with an umlaut. Now I'm reduced to this. I have no desire at all to switch my keyboard layout. I want a convenient way to get an umlaut that doesn't mean visiting the wikipedia.

Well, I pres the dead_diaeresis -button and a, and I get ä, same with o I get ö,... ü, ï, ÿ, etc. (I have Finnish keyboard layout with alphabets being dvorak remapped.)

Do you have buttons for umlauts or for dead keys in your physical keyboard layout? If so, set correct keymap by modifying your /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 (or using approriate tool for doing it, eg. some X configuration wizard [whatever it is called in your distribution]).

Or do you just want to use umlauts using a PC104/US keyboard layout?
You can try using us_intl as your keymap (again the same conffile, keyboard section, line
Option "XkbLayout" "us_intl"
See /etc/X11/xkb/symbols/us_intl, for details on what keys does it enable.
(Same can be done on the fly without restarting X by running "setxkbmap us_intl")

Alternatively you can customize your keymap for your needs by using xmodmap program; see the manpage (especially useful are "-pke" and "-" parameters).