man page for emerge states: --exclude, -X ATOMS A space separated list of package names or slot atoms. Emerge won't install any ebuild or binary package that matches any of the given package atoms. Using a space drops second and additional atoms but specifying --exclude for each atom does work: # emerge -vpDNu @world --exclude sys-devel/gcc sys-kernel/gentoo-sources ; emerge -vpDNu @world --exclude sys-devel/gcc --exclude sys-kernel/gentoo-sources These are the packages that would be merged, in order: (ignores second atom) Calculating dependencies .. .... ... done! [ebuild U ] sys-libs/glibc-2.36-r5:2.2::gentoo [2.36-r4:2.2::gentoo] USE="caps (multilib) ssp stack-realign (static-libs) -audit (-cet) -compile-locales (-crypt) (-custom-cflags) -doc -gd -hash-sysv-compat -headers-only -multiarch -multilib-bootstrap -nscd -profile (-selinux) -suid -systemd -systemtap -test (-vanilla)" 80 KiB [ebuild U ] sys-libs/zlib-1.2.13:0/1::gentoo [1.2.12-r3:0/1::gentoo] USE="(split-usr) static-libs -minizip -verify-sig" ABI_X86="(64) -32 (-x32)" 1267 KiB [ebuild U ] sys-apps/systemd-utils-251.6::gentoo [251.5::gentoo] USE="acl kmod (split-usr) tmpfiles udev -boot (-selinux) -sysusers -test" ABI_X86="(64) -32 (-x32)" 11181 KiB [ebuild U ] dev-libs/libxml2-2.10.3:2::gentoo [2.10.2:2::gentoo] USE="ftp python readline -debug -examples -icu -lzma -static-libs -test" ABI_X86="(64) -32 (-x32)" PYTHON_TARGETS="python3_10 -python3_8 -python3_9 -python3_11" 2579 KiB [ebuild U ] app-crypt/gnupg-2.3.8::gentoo [2.3.7-r1::gentoo] USE="bzip2 nls readline smartcard ssl tofu -doc -ldap (-selinux) -test -tools -tpm -usb -user-socket -verify-sig -wks-server" 7466 KiB [ebuild U ] sys-apps/man-db-2.11.0::gentoo [2.10.2-r1::gentoo] USE="manpager nls seccomp zlib (-selinux) -static-libs" 1879 KiB [ebuild U ] cross-armv6j-hardfloat-linux-gnueabi/gcc-12.2.1_p20221008:12::armv6j-hardfloat-linux-gnueabi [12.2.0:12::armv6j-hardfloat-linux-gnueabi] USE="cxx nls nptl openmp pie ssp -ada -cet -custom-cflags -d -debug -doc (-fixed-point) -fortran -go -graphite -hardened -jit -libssp -lto -multilib -objc -objc++ -objc-gc (-pch) -pgo -sanitize -systemtap -test -valgrind -vanilla -vtv -zstd" 77291 KiB [ebuild NS ] sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-6.0.2:6.0.2::gentoo [6.0.1:6.0.1::gentoo] USE="experimental -build -symlink" 33 KiB [ebuild U ] cross-armv6j-hardfloat-linux-gnueabi/glibc-2.36-r5:2.2::armv6j-hardfloat-linux-gnueabi [2.36-r4:2.2::armv6j-hardfloat-linux-gnueabi] USE="caps crypt multiarch ssp static-libs -audit -cet -compile-locales -custom-cflags -doc -gd -hash-sysv-compat -headers-only -multilib -multilib-bootstrap -nscd -profile (-selinux) -stack-realign -suid -systemd -systemtap -test -vanilla" 0 KiB [ebuild U ] dev-python/setuptools-65.5.0::gentoo [65.4.1::gentoo] USE="-test" PYTHON_TARGETS="python3_10 -pypy3 -python3_8 -python3_9 -python3_11" 2556 KiB Total: 10 packages (9 upgrades, 1 in new slot), Size of downloads: 104327 KiB (Works with multiple --exclude ) These are the packages that would be merged, in order: Calculating dependencies ..... done! [ebuild U ] sys-libs/glibc-2.36-r5:2.2::gentoo [2.36-r4:2.2::gentoo] USE="caps (multilib) ssp stack-realign (static-libs) -audit (-cet) -compile-locales (-crypt) (-custom-cflags) -doc -gd -hash-sysv-compat -headers-only -multiarch -multilib-bootstrap -nscd -profile (-selinux) -suid -systemd -systemtap -test (-vanilla)" 80 KiB [ebuild U ] sys-libs/zlib-1.2.13:0/1::gentoo [1.2.12-r3:0/1::gentoo] USE="(split-usr) static-libs -minizip -verify-sig" ABI_X86="(64) -32 (-x32)" 1267 KiB [ebuild U ] sys-apps/systemd-utils-251.6::gentoo [251.5::gentoo] USE="acl kmod (split-usr) tmpfiles udev -boot (-selinux) -sysusers -test" ABI_X86="(64) -32 (-x32)" 11181 KiB [ebuild U ] dev-libs/libxml2-2.10.3:2::gentoo [2.10.2:2::gentoo] USE="ftp python readline -debug -examples -icu -lzma -static-libs -test" ABI_X86="(64) -32 (-x32)" PYTHON_TARGETS="python3_10 -python3_8 -python3_9 -python3_11" 2579 KiB [ebuild U ] app-crypt/gnupg-2.3.8::gentoo [2.3.7-r1::gentoo] USE="bzip2 nls readline smartcard ssl tofu -doc -ldap (-selinux) -test -tools -tpm -usb -user-socket -verify-sig -wks-server" 7466 KiB [ebuild U ] sys-apps/man-db-2.11.0::gentoo [2.10.2-r1::gentoo] USE="manpager nls seccomp zlib (-selinux) -static-libs" 1879 KiB [ebuild U ] cross-armv6j-hardfloat-linux-gnueabi/gcc-12.2.1_p20221008:12::armv6j-hardfloat-linux-gnueabi [12.2.0:12::armv6j-hardfloat-linux-gnueabi] USE="cxx nls nptl openmp pie ssp -ada -cet -custom-cflags -d -debug -doc (-fixed-point) -fortran -go -graphite -hardened -jit -libssp -lto -multilib -objc -objc++ -objc-gc (-pch) -pgo -sanitize -systemtap -test -valgrind -vanilla -vtv -zstd" 77291 KiB [ebuild U ] cross-armv6j-hardfloat-linux-gnueabi/glibc-2.36-r5:2.2::armv6j-hardfloat-linux-gnueabi [2.36-r4:2.2::armv6j-hardfloat-linux-gnueabi] USE="caps crypt multiarch ssp static-libs -audit -cet -compile-locales -custom-cflags -doc -gd -hash-sysv-compat -headers-only -multilib -multilib-bootstrap -nscd -profile (-selinux) -stack-realign -suid -systemd -systemtap -test -vanilla" 0 KiB [ebuild U ] dev-python/setuptools-65.5.0::gentoo [65.4.1::gentoo] USE="-test" PYTHON_TARGETS="python3_10 -pypy3 -python3_8 -python3_9 -python3_11" 2556 KiB Total: 9 packages (9 upgrades), Size of downloads: 104294 KiB
You need to put quotes around the list so that your shell interprets it as a single argument. eg. emerge -vpDNu @world --exclude "sys-devel/gcc sys-kernel/gentoo-sources"
