When updating the system with this command : emerge -auDNvt world if dbus-0.23.4-r1 is installed, then it is upgraded to 0.36.2 (net-im/skype-1.2.0.17 dep) and when 0.36.2 is installed, it is downgraded to 0.23.4-r1 (sys-apps/hal-0.4.7-r2 dep). Steps to reproduce : 1. dudule ~ # emerge -auDNvt world These are the packages that I would merge, in reverse order: Calculating world dependencies ...done! [nomerge ] x11-themes/gnome-themes-2.10.2 -accessibility -debug [nomerge ] x11-themes/gtk-engines-2.6.3-r1 -debug [nomerge ] gnome-base/libbonoboui-2.10.0 -debug +doc -static [nomerge ] gnome-base/libgnome-2.10.1-r1 -debug +doc +esd -static [nomerge ] gnome-base/gnome-vfs-2.10.1-r1 -debug +doc -gnutls +hal -howl +ipv6 +samba +ssl [nomerge ] sys-apps/hal-0.4.7-r2 -debug +doc -livecd -pcmcia [ebuild UD] sys-apps/dbus-0.23.4-r1 [0.36.2] +X -debug +gtk (-mono) +python +qt +xml2 0 kB Total size of downloads: 0 kB Do you want me to merge these packages? [Yes/No] [...] >>> sys-apps/dbus-0.23.4-r1 merged. sys-apps/dbus selected: 0.36.2 protected: 0.23.4-r1 omitted: none >>> 'Selected' packages are slated for removal. >>> 'Protected' and 'omitted' packages will not be removed. [... ends successfully ...] 2. dudule ~ # emerge -auDNvt world These are the packages that I would merge, in reverse order: Calculating world dependencies ...done! [nomerge ] net-im/skype-1.2.0.17 +arts +esd -static [ebuild U ] sys-apps/dbus-0.36.2 [0.23.4-r1] +X -debug +doc +gtk (-mono) +python +qt +xml2 0 kB Total size of downloads: 0 kB Do you want me to merge these packages? [Yes/No] [...] >>> sys-apps/dbus-0.36.2 merged. sys-apps/dbus selected: 0.23.4-r1 protected: 0.36.2 omitted: none >>> 'Selected' packages are slated for removal. >>> 'Protected' and 'omitted' packages will not be removed. [... ends successfully ...] 3. Start over at step 1... emerge info: Portage 2.0.51.22-r3 (default-linux/amd64/2005.1, gcc-3.4.4, glibc-2.3.5-r2, 2.6.13-gentoo-r3 x86_64) ================================================================= System uname: 2.6.13-gentoo-r3 x86_64 AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 3000+ Gentoo Base System version 1.6.13 ccache version 2.3 [enabled] dev-lang/python: 2.3.5-r2, 2.4.2 sys-apps/sandbox: 1.2.12 sys-devel/autoconf: 2.13, 2.59-r6 sys-devel/automake: 1.4_p6, 1.5, 1.6.3, 1.7.9-r1, 1.8.5-r3, 1.9.6-r1 sys-devel/binutils: 2.16-r1 sys-devel/libtool: 1.5.20 virtual/os-headers: 2.6.11-r2 ACCEPT_KEYWORDS="amd64" AUTOCLEAN="yes" CBUILD="x86_64-pc-linux-gnu" CFLAGS="-O3 -march=athlon64 -mtune=athlon64 -ftracer -pipe" CHOST="x86_64-pc-linux-gnu" CONFIG_PROTECT="/etc /usr/kde/2/share/config /usr/kde/3.3/env /usr/kde/3.3/share/config /usr/kde/3.3/shutdown /usr/kde/3.4/env /usr/kde/3.4/share/config /usr/kde/3.4/shutdown /usr/kde/3/share/config /usr/lib/X11/xkb /usr/lib64/mozilla/defaults/pref /usr/share/config /usr/share/texmf/dvipdfm/config/ /usr/share/texmf/dvips/config/ /usr/share/texmf/tex/generic/config/ /usr/share/texmf/tex/platex/config/ /usr/share/texmf/xdvi/ /var/qmail/control" CONFIG_PROTECT_MASK="/etc/gconf /etc/terminfo /etc/env.d" CXXFLAGS="-O3 -march=athlon64 -mtune=athlon64 -ftracer -pipe" DISTDIR="/usr/portage/distfiles" FEATURES="autoaddcvs autoconfig ccache distlocks sandbox sfperms strict" GENTOO_MIRRORS="ftp://mirror.switch.ch/mirror/gentoo/ http://mir1.ovh.net/gentoo-distfiles/ ftp://ftp.uni-erlangen.de/pub/mirrors/gentoo ftp://ftp.solnet.ch/mirror/Gentoo http://gentoo.mirror.solnet.ch" MAKEOPTS="-j2" PKGDIR="/usr/portage/packages" PORTAGE_TMPDIR="/var/tmp" PORTDIR="/usr/portage" PORTDIR_OVERLAY="/usr/local/overlays/gentoo-java-experimental /usr/local/portage" SYNC="rsync://rsync.gentoo.org/gentoo-portage" USE="amd64 X alsa arts avi berkdb bitmap-fonts bl bonobo bootsplash bzlib crypt curl custom-cflags dga doc dvd dvdr eds emboss emul-linux-x86 encode esd fam ffmpeg flac foomaticdb fortran ftp gcj gd gdbm gif gnome gpm gstreamer gtk gtk2 gtkhtml guile hal imagemagick imap imlib ipv6 java jpeg junit kde ldap libwww lirc lm_sensors lzw lzw-tiff mad maps mikmod motif mozilla mp3 mpeg mysql mythtv ncurses nls no-old-linux nocd nptl nvidia ogg oggvorbis opengl pam pdflib perl png print python qt quicktime readline real remote samba sdl slang spell ssl stats stencil-buffer tcltk tcpd tetex tga threads tidy tiff truetype-fonts type1-fonts udev unicode usb userlocales v4l v4l2 videos vorbis wxgtk1 wxwindows xanim xinerama xml xml2 xmms xpm xv xvid zlib userland_GNU kernel_linux elibc_glibc" Unset: ASFLAGS, CTARGET, LANG, LC_ALL, LDFLAGS, LINGUAS
This is because you're mixing ~amd64 and amd64 on a single system. You sometimes get these problems. ~amd64 has all apps (gnome 2.12.0 in your case) depending on the new dbus. You will have to either downgrade/unmerge skype, or upgrade everything else depending on dbus to a version new enough to handle the new dbus.
Ok thanks for your answer, closing the bug.
