This ebuild uses the python2.2 executable, so it doesn't work if you only have python 2.3. It should either be re-written like 2.0.49-r18 to not use python2.2, or given the <python-2.3 dependency. Gentoo Base System version 1.4.3.12 Portage 2.0.49-r18 (default-x86-1.4, gcc-3.3.2, glibc-2.3.3_pre20031212-r0, 2.4.20-gentoo-r9) ================================================================= System uname: 2.4.20-gentoo-r9 i686 ccache version 2.3 [enabled] ACCEPT_KEYWORDS="x86 ~x86" AUTOCLEAN="yes" CFLAGS="-march=pentium3 -O3 -fomit-frame-pointer -pipe" CHOST="i686-pc-linux-gnu" COMPILER="gcc3" CONFIG_PROTECT="/etc /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xkb /usr/kde/2/share/config /usr/kde/3/share/config /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/env.d" CXXFLAGS="-march=pentium3 -O3 -fomit-frame-pointer -pipe" DISTDIR="/usr/portage/distfiles" FEATURES="autoaddcvs ccache sandbox userpriv" GENTOO_MIRRORS="ftp://ftp.ussg.iu.edu/pub/linux/gentoo ftp://mirrors.tds.net/gentoo http://adelie.polymtl.ca/ http://gentoo.seren.com/gentoo http://www.mirror.ac.uk/sites/www.ibiblio.org/gentoo/" MAKEOPTS="-j2" PKGDIR="/usr/portage/packages" PORTAGE_TMPDIR="/var/tmp" PORTDIR="/usr/portage" PORTDIR_OVERLAY="/usr/local/portage" SYNC="rsync://rsync.us.gentoo.org/gentoo-portage" USE="X acl alsa apm atlas bonobo cdr crypt cups foomaticdb gdbm gif gnome gpm gtk gtk2 imap java jpeg maildir mmx mozilla mpeg ncurses oggvorbis opengl oss pam pcmcia perl png pnp python quicktime readline slang spell sse ssl tcltk tcpd tetex truetype trusted x86 xml2 xmms zlib"
-r15 is x86, python-2.3 is ~x86, so that shouldn't normally be a problem. If you emerge python with ~x86 the changed dependency won't save you.
Not a bug. Python and portage match in versions and depend properly. Portage cannot do anything about user manipulations