Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!hplabs!sri-unix!mcb%lll-tis.arpa@lll-tis.ARPA From: mcb%lll-tis.arpa@lll-tis.ARPA Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards Subject: Re: hazards of linking directories Message-ID: <12762@sri-arpa.UUCP> Date: Sat, 13-Oct-84 01:48:50 EDT Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.12762 Posted: Sat Oct 13 01:48:50 1984 Date-Received: Mon, 8-Oct-84 03:56:47 EDT Lines: 22 From: "Michael C. Berch"In the "old days" it was forbidden to link to directories. Now I know why. Had the link been symbolic (as in 4BSD) the horror would not have occurred. But, more seriously: a line printer spooler that "spools" by LINKING the print file into the spool directory??? What if you make changes in the file between the queue time and the time it is actually printed? When I say "lpr foo" I assume that "foo" is conceptually being printed RIGHT NOW, and that the spooling mechanism exists only to make efficient use of a resource (the printer). I'd feel free to modify the file, secure in the knowledge that it would be printed in its original form. Is this the standard System V printer spooler that does this? I understand the problem if you are running XENIX with floppy disks, but hopefully a REAL system spooler would never do this... Michael C. Berch mcb@lll-tis.arpa ...ucbvax!lbl-csam!lll-tis!mcb