hazards of linking directories

[mcb%lll-tis.arpa at lll-tis.ARPA]

From:  "Michael C. Berch" <mcb%lll-tis.arpa at lll-tis.ARPA>

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 at lll-tis.arpa
				...ucbvax!lbl-csam!lll-tis!mcb