Question: I'm using SQL Developer to spool the DDL for some packages, but I cannot identify the location where the server is spooling. Oracle is installed on AIX, but I don't know the user it's using to connect to the OS.

Basically, when I run:

```
spool test.lst

select 1 from dual;

spool off

```

I get a confirmation message in console 

```
1                      
---------------------- 
1          

```

and whenever I try to give a path, I'd get an error, probably because of user rights:

```
spool /tmp/test.lst
select 1 from dual;
spool off

Cannot create SPOOL file /tmp/test.lst 
1                      
---------------------- 
1             

```

So my question is where is test.lst?

Answer: 
Spool is a client activity, not a server one; the `.lst` file will be created on the machine that SQL Developer is on, not the server where the database it's connecting to resides.

Under Windows 7 and SQL Developer 3.1, by default for me that seems to store the `.lst` in `%APPDATA%\Sql Developer\`

You can spool to a specific directory, e.g. `spool c:\windows\temp\test.lst`, and if you have it set up can use something like `spool \\<aix-server>\<dir>\test.lst`. Paths vary according to your client OS, of course.
Under my LINUX installation the default spool directory is from where you are running sqlplus.
ie. If you run sqlplus from a directory where you do not have write permissions it will fail.

Try typing "!" or "host" at the sqlplus prompt to goto the OS. 
pwd the directory end up in and I guess this is location of your spool.

(type exit to go back to sqlplus)