if a programm got more modern you can do more and more and all these new (standard)settings show/edit etc-update. sometimes you make updates and etc-update say: no important changes, nothing todo.
etc-update "never" update your package.use
and no you dont have to eix-sync after every change in package.use, you ve just edit package.use if you want e special or new useflag for one/a few programs
and last the import thing:
Linux Toorox 3.1.6-gentoo #1 SMP PREEMPT Wed Jan 4 17:48:25 CET 2012 i686 Intel(R) Core(TM) i3 CPU M 350 @ 2.27GHz GenuineIntel GNU/Linux
you are using kernel 3.1.6 but 3.2.1 is up-to-date and i you make emerge -avuND world so your toorox think its already available but you havent compile a new kernel yet. i think you should try to build a new kernel :)
1. edit package.use
sys-kernel/gentoo-sources symlink
2. update your useflags
emerge gentoo-sources
3. check
ls -l /usr/src
does it look like:
paste.pocoo.org/show/9OECIZwvDTz78CigZCEX/
4. copy the kernel.config
cp /usr/src/linux-3.1.6-gentoo/.config /usr/src/linux/
5. update the config
cd /usr/src/linux
make oldconfig
6. compile
make -j3 && make modules_install
7. backup old kernel
mv /boot/vmlinuz /boot/vmlinuz.old
8. kernel + grub
cp arch/i386/boot/bzImage /boot/vmlinuz
reboot and hope all works :)
if not: reinstall and edit your package.mask:
>=sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-3.1.7
adn you never get a kernel-upgrade