When you emerge lirc, it overwrites the file /etc/conf.d/lircd with your settings in it, so you have to reset them everytime you emerge lirc. It should add a file /etc/conf.d/._<sthere>lircd that can be merged with etc-update. emerge info: Portage 2.0.51-r2 (default-x86-1.4, gcc-3.3.4, glibc-2.3.4.20040808-r1, 2.6.9-gentoo-r1 i686) ================================================================= System uname: 2.6.9-gentoo-r1 i686 AMD Athlon(tm) processor Gentoo Base System version 1.4.16 distcc 2.16 i686-pc-linux-gnu (protocols 1 and 2) (default port 3632) [disabled] Autoconf: sys-devel/autoconf-2.59-r5 Automake: sys-devel/automake-1.8.5-r1 Binutils: sys-devel/binutils-2.14.90.0.8-r1 Headers: sys-kernel/linux-headers-2.4.21-r1,sys-kernel/linux-headers-2.4.19-r1 Libtools: sys-devel/libtool-1.5.2-r5 ACCEPT_KEYWORDS="x86" AUTOCLEAN="yes" CFLAGS="-march=athlon-tbird -mcpu=athlon-tbird -O3 -pipe" CHOST="i686-pc-linux-gnu" COMPILER="" CONFIG_PROTECT="/etc /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xkb /usr/kde/2/share/config /usr/kde/3.1/share/config /usr/kde/3.2/share/config /usr/kde/3.3/env /usr/kde/3.3/share/config /usr/kde/3.3/shutdown /usr/kde/3/share/config /usr/lib/mozilla/defaults/pref /usr/share/config /var/qmail/control" CONFIG_PROTECT_MASK="/etc/gconf /etc/terminfo /etc/env.d" CXXFLAGS="-march=athlon-tbird -mcpu=athlon-tbird -O3 -pipe" DISTDIR="/usr/portage/distfiles" FEATURES="autoaddcvs ccache distlocks sandbox" GENTOO_MIRRORS="ftp://mirrors.sec.informatik.tu-darmstadt.de/gentoo/ http://ftp.uni-erlangen.de/pub/mirrors/gentoo" MAKEOPTS="-j2" PKGDIR="/usr/portage/packages" PORTAGE_TMPDIR="/var/tmp" PORTDIR="/usr/portage" PORTDIR_OVERLAY="/usr/local/portage" SYNC="rsync://rsync.gentoo.org/gentoo-portage" USE=""
i think you accidently used etc-update on that file, no ebuild can overwrite a file in /etc