This link provides exhaustive details as well as points to others experiences: http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic.php?p=1503734#1503734 Key points are: Cause is unknown. Cause is indeterminable due to the failure of the logging system. Reproducible: Always Steps to Reproduce: 1. Install metalog on *some* ppc machines and wait 2. 3. Actual Results: logins would freeze at authentication with both local and ssh logins. Also other authentication related apps would fail like useradd and userdel or su. Expected Results: Authenticated.
unable to reproduce and i use metalog on every arch Gentoo supports please re-open if you can reproduce with 0.8_rc1+ and you can track down the bug itself