erlang-10.2.5 (last stable version) doesn't have tcltk USE flag, and thus even with USE="-X" emerge will try to install tcltk and X server: linux ~ # emerge -pv erlang These are the packages that I would merge, in order: Calculating dependencies ...done! [ebuild N ] sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-2.6.16-r7 -build -doc -symlink (-ultra1) 0 kB [ebuild N ] media-libs/libpng-1.2.8-r1 -doc 0 kB [ebuild N ] media-libs/freetype-2.1.9-r1 -bindist -doc +zlib 0 kB [ebuild N ] media-libs/fontconfig-2.2.3 0 kB [ebuild N ] x11-apps/ttmkfdir-3.0.9-r3 0 kB [ebuild N ] x11-base/xorg-x11-6.8.2-r7 -3dfx -3dnow -bitmap-fonts -cjk -debug -dlloader -dmx -doc -font-server -insecure-drivers -ipv6 -minimal -mmx +nls -nocxx -opengl +pam -sdk -sse -static +truetype-fonts +type1-fonts (-uclibc) -xprint +xv 196 kB [ebuild N ] virtual/x11-6.8 0 kB [ebuild N ] dev-lang/tk-8.4.9 -threads 0 kB [ebuild N ] dev-lang/erlang-10.2.5 -X -doc -emacs -java -odbc +ssl 9,762 kB [ebuild N ] app-arch/rpm2targz-9.0-r3 0 kB [ebuild N ] sys-apps/utempter-0.5.5.6 20 kB [ebuild N ] x11-terms/xterm-207 -Xaw3d -doc -toolbar +truetype -unicode 727 kB opposed to erlang-10.2.7 and 10.2.10: linux ~ # ACCEPT_KEYWORDS="~x86" USE="-tcltk" emerge -pv =erlang-10.2.7 These are the packages that I would merge, in order: Calculating dependencies ...done! [ebuild N ] dev-lang/erlang-10.2.7 -doc -emacs -java -odbc +ssl -tcltk 9,837 kB
*** Bug 134734 has been marked as a duplicate of this bug. ***
I am also unhappy with this non-optional dependency on tk and therefore on X. Also see bugs 104578 and 97798.
Would you mind upgrading to a testing version? I won't change a stable ebuild in such a way. >=10.2.7 have USE=tk now, see bug 17808.