Typing: "emerge automake" or "emerge /usr/portage/sys-devel/automake/automake-1.6.1-r6.ebuild" results in compilation and installation of the program. However, running "automake --version" shows up the following: "automake (GNU automake) 1.4-p5". I ran into this, while attempting to configure a program that required automake 1.6 and died on me every time I ran it saying I need "automake 1.6 or higher". I checked with qpkg and it showed sys-devel/automake-1.6.1-r6 to be installed. However, checking with "automake --version" revealed the real truth. Why all this confusion ? Why call something sys-devel/automake-1.6.1 if it isn't ? This really caused me some serioes head aches.
export WANT_AUTOMAKE_1_6=1 it is not misleading. the ebuild installs 1.4, 1.5 AND 1.6
jago, reopen this bug if it is still an issue