The build log says: checking for the toolset name used by Boost for x86_64-pc-linux-gnu-g++... gcc46 -gcc checking boost/system/error_code.hpp usability... yes checking boost/system/error_code.hpp presence... yes checking for boost/system/error_code.hpp... yes checking for the Boost system library... configure: error: Unable to determine whether to use -R or -rpath !!! Please attach the following file when seeking support: !!! /var/tmp/portage/media-gfx/povray-3.7.0_rc7/work/povray-3.7.0_rc7_build/config.log * ERROR: media-gfx/povray-3.7.0_rc7 failed (configure phase): * econf failed And from the config.log: configure:18895: re-using the existing conftest.o configure:18901: x86_64-pc-linux-gnu-g++ -o conftest -march=amdfam10 -O2 -ggdb -pipe -pthread -DPOVLIBDIR=\"/usr/share/povray\" -DPOVCONFDIR=\"/etc/povray\" -Wl,--as-needed -lboost_system-mt -L/usr/local/lib -Wl,-R,/usr/local/lib conftest.o -pthread >&5 conftest.o: In function `error_code': /usr/include/boost/system/error_code.hpp:315: undefined reference to `boost::system::system_category()' conftest.o: In function `boost::system::error_code::clear()': /usr/include/boost/system/error_code.hpp:343: undefined reference to `boost::system::system_category()' conftest.o: In function `__static_initialization_and_destruction_0': /usr/include/boost/system/error_code.hpp:214: undefined reference to `boost::system::generic_category()' /usr/include/boost/system/error_code.hpp:215: undefined reference to `boost::system::generic_category()' /usr/include/boost/system/error_code.hpp:216: undefined reference to `boost::system::system_category()' collect2: ld returned 1 exit status configure:18910: $? = 1 configure:18895: re-using the existing conftest.o configure:18901: x86_64-pc-linux-gnu-g++ -o conftest -march=amdfam10 -O2 -ggdb -pipe -pthread -DPOVLIBDIR=\"/usr/share/povray\" -DPOVCONFDIR=\"/etc/povray\" -Wl,--as-needed -lboost_system-mt -L/usr/local/lib -Wl,-rpath,/usr/local/lib conftest.o -pthread >&5 conftest.o: In function `error_code': /usr/include/boost/system/error_code.hpp:315: undefined reference to `boost::system::system_category()' conftest.o: In function `boost::system::error_code::clear()': /usr/include/boost/system/error_code.hpp:343: undefined reference to `boost::system::system_category()' conftest.o: In function `__static_initialization_and_destruction_0': /usr/include/boost/system/error_code.hpp:214: undefined reference to `boost::system::generic_category()' /usr/include/boost/system/error_code.hpp:215: undefined reference to `boost::system::generic_category()' /usr/include/boost/system/error_code.hpp:216: undefined reference to `boost::system::system_category()' collect2: ld returned 1 exit status configure:18910: $? = 1 configure:18934: error: Unable to determine whether to use -R or -rpath The problem here seems to be the incorrect order of arguments: conftest.o should go BEFORER -lboost_system-mt.
The media-gfx/povray-3.7.0_rc6 which I have installed on my system will fail configure with the same reason. So this is not due to povray, but instead to something related to boost, and in particular to the boost.m4 file from sys-devel/boost-m4-0.3. There appears to be a fix for this in the git repository: https://github.com/tsuna/boost.m4/commit/0c1ad6b40a28cc6d146782850b7792bae76a9ef3 With this fix applied to my boost.m4, things work as expected.
*** This bug has been marked as a duplicate of bug 461748 ***
