Version:            (using KDE KDE 3.4.0)
Installed from:    Compiled From Sources
Compiler:          GCC 3.3.5 
OS:                Solaris

In our environment on Solaris 8, an empty /etc/printers.conf is provided by default.  The getEtcPrintersConfName() in kdeprint/lpdunix/kmlpdunixmanager.cpp will not bother asking NIS for printers if it finds an /etc/printers.conf file.  This behavior didn't happen before KDE 3.1.  It would be better if either the routine checked to see if any printers were defined in the file or perhaps combine the contents of this file with the one produced from the NIS map.  Alternatively, give the user an option to decide where printer information should come from or provide a priority list for it.

In my current situation, I fixed it by removing the check for the existence of the local file.  Now, if the ypcat command exists, it will try to retrieve the printers from NIS.  Unfortunately, if it doesn't find any, it won't check the local file (I leave these fixes to the very capable maintainer of kdeprint).  Just thought I'd let you know.

--- kdeprint/lpdunix/kmlpdunixmanager.cpp.orig  2005-05-04 14:44:02.537328000 -0500
+++ kdeprint/lpdunix/kmlpdunixmanager.cpp       2005-05-04 14:49:25.109103000 -0500
@@ -230,11 +230,11 @@
 QString getEtcPrintersConfName()
 {
        QString printersconf("/etc/printers.conf");
-       if (!QFile::exists(printersconf) && !KStandardDirs::findExe( "ypcat" ).isEmpty())
+       if (!KStandardDirs::findExe( "ypcat" ).isEmpty())
        {
-               // standard file not found, try NIS
+               // try NIS if it's available.
                printersconf = locateLocal("tmp","printers.conf");
-               QString cmd = QString::fromLatin1("ypcat printers.conf.byname > %1").arg(printersconf);
+               QString cmd = QString::fromLatin1("ypcat printers.conf.byname > %1 2>&1").arg(printersconf);
                kdDebug() << "printers.conf obtained from NIS server: " << cmd << endl;
                ::system(QFile::encodeName(cmd));
        }