variable @code{default-enable-multibyte-characters} in your init file to
have basically the same effect as @samp{--unibyte}.
+@cindex Lisp files, and multibyte operation
+@cindex multibyte operation, and Lisp files
+@cindex unibyte operation, and Lisp files
+@cindex init file, and non-ASCII characters
+@cindex environment variables, and non-ASCII characters
Multibyte strings are not created during initialization from the
values of environment variables, @file{/etc/passwd} entries etc.@: that
-contain non-ASCII 8-bit characters. However, the initialization file is
-normally read as multibyte---like Lisp files in general when they are
-loaded for running---even with @samp{--unibyte}. To avoid multibyte
-strings being generated by non-ASCII characters in it, put
-@samp{-*-unibyte: t;-*-} in a comment on the first line. Do the same
-for initialization files for packages like Gnus.
+contain non-ASCII 8-bit characters. However, Lisp files, when they are
+loaded for running, and in particular the initialization file
+@file{.emacs}, are normally read as multibyte---even with
+@samp{--unibyte}. To avoid multibyte strings being generated by
+non-ASCII characters in Lisp files, put @samp{-*-unibyte: t;-*-} in a
+comment on the first line, or specify the coding system @samp{raw-text}
+with @kbd{C-x @key{RET} c}. Do the same for initialization files for
+packages like Gnus.
The mode line indicates whether multibyte character support is enabled
in the current buffer. If it is, there are two or more characters (most