Try and disable over-engineering in the rpm build system.

--- rpm-4.4.7/build/Makefile.am
+++ rpm-4.4.7/build/Makefile.am
@@ -24,10 +24,7 @@
 pkginc_HEADERS = rpmbuild.h rpmfc.h rpmfile.h rpmspec.h
 noinst_HEADERS = buildio.h
 
-LDFLAGS = -L$(RPM_BUILD_ROOT)$(usrlibdir) -L$(DESTDIR)$(usrlibdir)
-
-usrlibdir = $(libdir)@MARK64@
-usrlib_LTLIBRARIES = librpmbuild.la
+lib_LTLIBRARIES = librpmbuild.la
 librpmbuild_la_SOURCES = \
 	build.c expression.c files.c misc.c names.c pack.c \
 	parseBuildInstallClean.c parseChangelog.c parseDescription.c \
--- rpm-4.4.7/configure.ac
+++ rpm-4.4.7/configure.ac
@@ -117,7 +117,9 @@
 dnl
 with_selinuxval=no
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(flag used by libtool to link rpm)
-if test X"$GCC" = Xyes ; then
+# We do not want static linking
+#if test X"$GCC" = Xyes ; then
+if false ; then
 	case "$target" in
 		*-*-linux*)	LDFLAGS_STATIC="-all-static"
 				with_selinuxval=yes ;;
@@ -160,14 +162,15 @@
 dnl XXX Test for libpthread.a that is NPTL aware (static link only).
 dnl
 LDFLAGS_NPTL=
-if test -f /usr/lib/nptl/libpthread.a ; then
-    LDFLAGS_NPTL="-L/usr/lib/nptl"
+# Also do not need static linking
+#if test -f /usr/lib/nptl/libpthread.a ; then
+#    LDFLAGS_NPTL="-L/usr/lib/nptl"
 #    INCPATH="$INCPATH -I/usr/include/nptl"
-fi
-if test -f /usr/lib64/nptl/libpthread.a ; then
-    LDFLAGS_NPTL="-L/usr/lib64/nptl"
+#fi
+#if test -f /usr/lib64/nptl/libpthread.a ; then
+#    LDFLAGS_NPTL="-L/usr/lib64/nptl"
 #    INCPATH="$INCPATH -I/usr/include/nptl"
-fi
+#fi
 AC_SUBST(LDFLAGS_NPTL)
 
 dnl
@@ -1306,6 +1309,8 @@
 case "${target_cpu}" in
 x86_64*|ppc64*|powerpc64*|sparc64*|s390x*)	MARK64=64 ;;
 esac
+# We don't want this magic as portage handles it
+MARK64=ALL-SCREWED-UP
 AC_SUBST(MARK64)
 
 # For some systems we know that we have ld_version scripts.
@@ -1388,13 +1384,16 @@
 else
     usrprefix=$prefix
 fi
+
+test "x$exec_prefix" = xNONE && exec_prefix='${prefix}'
+
 LOCALEDIR="`echo ${usrprefix}/share/locale`"
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(LOCALEDIR, "$LOCALEDIR",
 	[Full path to rpm locale directory (usually /usr/share/locale)])
 AC_SUBST(LOCALEDIR)
 LIBDIR="`echo $libdir | sed 's-/lib$-/%{_lib}-'`"
 AC_SUBST(LIBDIR)
-RPMCONFIGDIR="`echo ${usrprefix}/lib/rpm`"
+RPMCONFIGDIR="`eval echo ${libdir}/rpm`"
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(RPMCONFIGDIR, "$RPMCONFIGDIR",
 	[Full path to rpm global configuration directory (usually /usr/lib/rpm)])
 AC_SUBST(RPMCONFIGDIR)
--- rpm-4.4.7/lib/Makefile.am
+++ rpm-4.4.7/lib/Makefile.am
@@ -29,10 +29,7 @@
 mylibs = librpm.la
 LIBS =
 
-LDFLAGS = -L$(RPM_BUILD_ROOT)$(usrlibdir) -L$(DESTDIR)$(usrlibdir)
-
-usrlibdir = $(libdir)@MARK64@
-usrlib_LTLIBRARIES = librpm.la
+lib_LTLIBRARIES = librpm.la
 librpm_la_SOURCES = \
 	cpio.c depends.c formats.c fs.c fsm.c getdate.c \
 	manifest.c misc.c package.c \
--- rpm-4.4.7/python/Makefile.am
+++ rpm-4.4.7/python/Makefile.am
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@
 
 LINT = splint
 
-pylibdir = ${prefix}/lib@MARK64@/python@WITH_PYTHON_VERSION@
-pyincdir = $(prefix)/include/python@WITH_PYTHON_VERSION@
+pylibdir = $(libdir)/python@WITH_PYTHON_VERSION@
+pyincdir = $(includedir)/python@WITH_PYTHON_VERSION@
 
 SUBDIRS = rpm
 
--- rpm-4.4.7/python/rpm/Makefile.am
+++ rpm-4.4.7/python/rpm/Makefile.am
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@
 
 PYVER = @WITH_PYTHON_VERSION@
 
-pylibdir = ${prefix}/lib@MARK64@/python@WITH_PYTHON_VERSION@
-pyincdir = $(prefix)/include/python@WITH_PYTHON_VERSION@
+pylibdir = $(libdir)/python@WITH_PYTHON_VERSION@
+pyincdir = $(includedir)/python@WITH_PYTHON_VERSION@
 
 EXTRA_DIST = \
 	__init__.py
--- rpm-4.4.7/rpmdb/Makefile.am
+++ rpm-4.4.7/rpmdb/Makefile.am
@@ -41,11 +41,7 @@
 # XXX watchout, ../db3/libdb.la created by this Makefile may surprise
 libdb_la = $(top_builddir)/$(WITH_DB_SUBDIR)/libdb.la
 
-# XXX grrr, RPM_BUILD_ROOT prevents build pollution if/when -lrpm different
-LDFLAGS = -L$(RPM_BUILD_ROOT)$(usrlibdir) -L$(DESTDIR)$(usrlibdir)
-
-usrlibdir = $(libdir)@MARK64@
-usrlib_LTLIBRARIES = librpmdb.la
+lib_LTLIBRARIES = librpmdb.la
 librpmdb_la_SOURCES = \
 	dbconfig.c fprint.c \
 	hdrNVR.c header.c header_internal.c legacy.c merge.c \
--- rpm-4.4.7/rpmio/Makefile.am
+++ rpm-4.4.7/rpmio/Makefile.am
@@ -28,10 +28,7 @@
 
 BEECRYPTLOBJS = $(shell test X"@WITH_BEECRYPT_SUBDIR@" != X && cat $(top_builddir)/@WITH_BEECTYPT_SUBDIR@/listobjs)
 
-LDFLAGS = -L$(RPM_BUILD_ROOT)$(usrlibdir) -L$(DESTDIR)$(usrlibdir)
-
-usrlibdir = $(libdir)@MARK64@
-usrlib_LTLIBRARIES = librpmio.la
+lib_LTLIBRARIES = librpmio.la
 librpmio_la_SOURCES = \
 	argv.c digest.c fts.c macro.c md2.c md4.c rmd128.c rmd160.c tiger.c \
 	rpmdav.c rpmhook.c rpmio.c rpmlog.c rpmlua.c rpmmalloc.c \
--- rpm-4.4.7/scripts/Makefile.am
+++ rpm-4.4.7/scripts/Makefile.am
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 
 all:
 
-configdir = ${prefix}/lib/rpm
+configdir = $(libdir)/rpm
 config_SCRIPTS = \
 	brp-compress brp-python-bytecompile brp-java-gcjcompile brp-redhat \
 	brp-strip brp-strip-comment-note brp-nobuildrootpath \
--- rpm-4.4.7/tools/Makefile.am
+++ rpm-4.4.7/tools/Makefile.am
@@ -54,10 +54,6 @@
 #rpmdeps_LDFLAGS =	$(staticLDFLAGS)
 rpmdeps_LDADD =		$(top_builddir)/build/librpmbuild.la
 
-rpmfile.c: $(top_srcdir)/file/src/file.c
-	rm -f $@
-	ln -s $< $@
-
 rpmfile_SOURCES =	rpmfile.c
 rpmfile_CFLAGS =	-DMAGIC='"$(MAGIC)"' $(INCLUDES)
 rpmfile_LDADD =		$(top_builddir)/rpmio/librpmio.la