genkernel can (mostly) run as unprivileged user. Currently building the kernel is broken: >>> Compiling source in /var/tmp/portage/sys-kernel/buildkernel-4.4.1/work/buildkernel-4.4.1 ... * Gentoo Linux Genkernel; Version 3.4.52.4 * Running with options: all --no-mountboot --bootdir=/var/tmp/portage/sys-kernel/buildkernel-4.4.1/work/buildkernel-4.4.1/final/boot --makeopts=-j4 --logfile=/var/tmp/portage/sys-kernel/buildkernel-4.4.1/work/buildkernel-4.4.1/genkernel.log --tempdir=/var/tmp/portage/sys-kernel/buildkernel-4.4.1/work/buildkernel-4.4.1/tmp --module-prefix=/var/tmp/portage/sys-kernel/buildkernel-4.4.1/work/buildkernel-4.4.1/final --kerneldir=/usr/src/linux-4.4.1-gentoo --kernel-config=/usr/portage/sys-kernel/buildkernel/files/4.4.1 --install --no-mrproper --cachedir=/var/tmp/portage/sys-kernel/buildkernel-4.4.1/work/buildkernel-4.4.1/cache * Using genkernel.conf from /etc/genkernel.conf * Sourcing arch-specific config.sh from /usr/share/genkernel/arch/x86_64/config.sh .. * Sourcing arch-specific modules_load from /usr/share/genkernel/arch/x86_64/modules_load .. * Linux Kernel 4.4.1-gentoo for x86_64... * .. with config file /usr/portage/sys-kernel/buildkernel/files/4.4.1 * kernel: Using config from /usr/portage/sys-kernel/buildkernel/files/4.4.1 * kernel: --mrproper is disabled; not running 'make mrproper'. * ACCESS DENIED: open_wr: /usr/src/linux-4.4.1-gentoo/.config cp: cannot create regular file '/usr/src/linux-4.4.1-gentoo/.config': Permission denied * ERROR: Could not copy configuration file! * * -- Grepping log... -- * * Running with options: all --no-mountboot --bootdir=/var/tmp/portage/sys-kernel/buildkernel-4.4.1/work/buildkernel-4.4.1/final/boot --makeopts=-j4 --logfile=/var/tmp/portage/sys-kernel/buildkernel-4.4.1/work/buildkernel-4.4.1/genkernel.log --tempdir=/var/tmp/portage/sys-kernel/buildkernel-4.4.1/work/buildkernel-4.4.1/tmp --module-prefix=/var/tmp/portage/sys-kernel/buildkernel-4.4.1/work/buildkernel-4.4.1/final --kerneldir=/usr/src/linux-4.4.1-gentoo --kernel-config=/usr/portage/sys-kernel/buildkernel/files/4.4.1 --install --no-mrproper --cachedir=/var/tmp/portage/sys-kernel/buildkernel-4.4.1/work/buildkernel-4.4.1/cache * Using genkernel.conf from /etc/genkernel.conf * Sourcing arch-specific config.sh from /usr/share/genkernel/arch/x86_64/config.sh .. * Sourcing arch-specific modules_load from /usr/share/genkernel/arch/x86_64/modules_load .. * * ERROR: Could not copy configuration file! There's no reason to touch /usr/src/linux if --tempdir is set, I haven't figured out where this happens.
Your command line does NOT include --kernel-outputdir; so it's trying to use the srcdir as the outputdir, which fails in your case. I realize that kernel-outputdir was not in the manpage (it was in the --help output), and I've fixed that now (and added a check to ensure that all of --help is in the manpage in future).
