On Fri, Feb 16, 2001 at 07:26:41PM +1100, matthew green wrote:
>    
>    Log Message:
>    use /var/spool/output instead of /var/spool/lpd as the default spooldir,
>    because that's what lpd, the SMM, and hier(7) has used for ages, even
>    if printcap(5) and this file were wrong...
> 
> 
> when you say "lpd" there, how was lpd using it beyond what was listed in
> /etc/printcap?  from what i can tell, this was a code vs. documentation
> error, and you've fixed it in the code...?  personally, i *much* prefer
> that `/var/spool/lpd' be used, because that's the name of the program
> spooling.  WTF does `output' mean?  any number of things.

There was an inconsistency in the various bits of the tree:

/var/spool/output
	* lpd(8)
	  in common_source/pathnames.h, we find:
		#define _PATH_DEFSPOOL "/var/spool/output/lpd"

	* hier(7)
	  the only entry for spool directories is:
		/var/spool/output	printer spooling directories

	* The System Managers Manual documentation, 01.setup
		

/var/spool/lpd
	* etc/printcap
	  uses /var/spool/lpd in sd= entries.

	* printcap(5)
		sd  str  /var/spool/lpd  spool directory
	  This is actually /var/spool/output/lpd; see lpd above


It appeared to me that the 4.4BSD was moving toward /var/spool/output,
and the change wasn't finished. Most of these inconsistencies were
in rev 1.1 of the file (i.e, from initial import).

In any case, this doesn't affect most users per se; they're free to
setup printcap how they like. It's ensuring that our documentation
is consistent.

(There was less effort fixing the example etc/printcap and printcap(5)
to match what the rest did :)