If you add alot of keywords to USE in make.conf you'll find that bootstrap bombs out while compiling dependencies for glibc, etc. The db package, for example, requires a functional c++ compiler which is not available during bootstraping. Perhaps we should have the install docs say to use the default USE settings during bootstrapping and only customize it after bootstrapping is finished?
This bug report does not clearly describe the error you experienced. If you give more specific information I can look into an appropriate resolution to the problem.
I cannot possibly test all possible USE keyword combinations and tell you which combinations fail and which do not. There is at least one combination that causes various packages to become dependencies for compiling glibc that require a fully functional c++ compiler environment or the compile fails (thus making bootstrap fail) The problem should be fairly easy to reproduce. Just add all the documented keywords mentioned in /etc/make.conf to your USE and try to bootstrap on a clean system. Sorry, I don't have the resources (spare machine or disk space) to track down which keywords in particular
doh... I just realized I could probably reproduce it with a chroot... duh :) I'll look into it more when I get some time :)
Did you add the "build" keyword to USE? If you did, then this is a mistake and not a bug.
No, I did not add the build keyword... I just added a bunch of keywords from the stable list.
Bug is old and stale
I seem to be having the same prob... bootstrap bails when compiling gcc Here's my USE from make.conf, I'm trying a reduced version now: USE="-3dfx -3dnow aalib -accesibility acl -afs -adns -aim -alsa -altivec apache2 apm -arts -atlas -audiofile berkdb -bidi -bonobo -canna caps -cdr -cjk -crypt -cscope cups -curl -debug -dedicated dga directfb -doc -dvb -dvd -dvdr -emacs -emacs-w3 -encode -esd -ethereal -ev6 -evo fastcgi -fbcon -fdftk -firebird -flac -flash foomaticdb freetds -freewnn -gb gd gdbm ggi gif -ginac -gmp -qt -gtk -gtk2 -gtkhtml -gnome -guile -hardened -icc -icc-pgo -icq imap imagemagick imlib innodb informix -ipv6 -jabber -jack java jikes -joystick jpeg junit -kde kerberos krb4 -ladcca lcms ldap -leim libg++ -libgda libwww -lirc -mad maildir -matrox mbox mcal -mikmod memlimit mmx motif -mozilla mpeg -mpi -msn -mule mysql -nas ncurses nocardbus nocd oci8 odbc -offensive oggvorbis -opengl -oscar -oss pam -pcmcia -pda ppds pdflib perl plotutils png -pnp postgres bindist prelude python -qt -quicktime readline -ruby samba sasl -scanner -sdl slang -slp -snmp socks5 -speex spell ssw ssl tcpd tiff unicode udb vhosts -videos -voodoo3 wmf -X xml2 zeo zlib x86"
I have this problem too. On my emachines m6805 the bootstrap bombed out with the following USE keywords, but succeeded when I commented out the USE variable in the make.conf. The docs should really mention that setting USE should be done AFTER bootstrapping, not before. USE="X amd64 apm arts avi berkdb crypt encode foomaticdb gdbm gif gnome gpm gtk gtk2 imlib jpeg kde libg++ libwww mikmod motif mpeg ncurses nls nogcj oggvorbis opengl oss pam pdflib perl png python quicktime readline sdl slang spell ssl tcpd truetype xml2 xmms xv zlib"
