My /var/tmp resides not on the same partition as /usr/bin (/usr is a symlink to a dir on another partition). This makes rename fail. So in the final install less is not moved to /usr/bin. An strace reveals this as the cause.
The ebuild for less if very simple. The only install operation on /usr/bin/less is via this line... dobin less lessecho lesskey dobin is a function of the ebuild system so I am passing this bug on to drobbins.
Ole, sounds like you have a messed-up system. The reason you give for dobin failing doesn't make any sense, and should work even if /usr is a symbolic link.
Created attachment 3162 [details] normal emerge
Created attachment 3163 [details] bad emerge of less
It seems the bug is reproduceable: If /var/tmp is bind-mounted the emerge fails. If it is not bind-mounted it does not. See the attached logfiles for an example of good and bad.
Bind mounted from where to where? I really need more detailed bug reports than this.
OK, I figured this out. For some reason Linux doesn't let you rename between the same filesystem if you are going from one mount to another bind-mount. Boo! Will be fixed in 2.0.29.