Hi ...
My latest client site launched a couple of days ago and all was OK, pretty URLs enabled. But the 404.php page wasn't showing up for a 404 error.

Today I changed the .htaccess file to try out using a full path to 404.php, uploaded the new .htaccess file and got a white screen instead of the website.

I changed the path to 404.php back but still the white screen, commented out the 404 line but still got the white screen. And couldn't log in to the Admin Panel either.

So I had to phone the host - 1and1. Very difficult understanding the person at the other end of the phone. But they uploaded a new .htaccess file which looks like this:

Code: Select all

AddHandler x-mapp-php5 .php3 .php4 .php .phtml

And the site is now viewable and pretty URLs enabled.

But how on earth are pretty URLs working? I am really at a loss to know what is going on here and don't want to upload the previous .htaccess file in case I get back to the white screen with no access to the admin panel!

Any ideas?

The previous .htaccess file is:

Code: Select all

Options +Indexes +FollowSymlinks -MultiViews
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On

#If your website is installed in a subfolder, change the line below to reflect the path to the subfolder.
#e.g. for http://www.example.com/subdomain1/subdomain2/ make it RewriteBase /subdomain1/subdomain2
RewriteBase /

#If you wish to use a custom 404 page, place a file named 404.php in your website's root and uncomment the line below.
#If your website is installed in a subfolder, change the line below to reflect the path to the subfolder.
#e.g. for http://www.example.com/subdomain1/subdomain2/ make it ErrorDocument 404 /subdomain1/subdomain2/404.php

#ErrorDocument 404 /404.php

#If your site begins with 'www', uncomment the following two lines
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^www\.
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://www.%{HTTP_HOST}/$1 [R=301,L]

#Prevent Multiple Choices 300 http status code response
CheckSpelling Off


#DO NOT EDIT BELOW THIS

RewriteRule ^index.php$ "" [R=301,L,QSA]

RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} -d [OR]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} -f
RewriteRule . - [L]

#terms-and-conditions.php
RewriteRule ^terms-and-conditions$ "$0/" [R=301,L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^terms-and-conditions/$ terms-and-conditions.php [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^terms-and-conditions/.*?([^\.\/]*)\.html$ terms-and-conditions.php?pname=$1 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^terms-and-conditions/([1-2]\d{3})/(?:(0[1-9]|1[0-2])/(?:(0[1-9]|1[0-9]|2[0-9]|3[0-1])/)?)?$ terms-and-conditions.php?d=$1$2$3 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^terms-and-conditions/[^\.]*?([^/\.]*)/$ terms-and-conditions.php?fname=$1 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^terms-and-conditions/[^\.]*?([^/\.]*)$ "$0/" [R=301,L,QSA]

#social-media.php
RewriteRule ^social-media$ "$0/" [R=301,L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^social-media/$ social-media.php [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^social-media/.*?([^\.\/]*)\.html$ social-media.php?pname=$1 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^social-media/([1-2]\d{3})/(?:(0[1-9]|1[0-2])/(?:(0[1-9]|1[0-9]|2[0-9]|3[0-1])/)?)?$ social-media.php?d=$1$2$3 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^social-media/[^\.]*?([^/\.]*)/$ social-media.php?fname=$1 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^social-media/[^\.]*?([^/\.]*)$ "$0/" [R=301,L,QSA]

#qualifications-and-training.php
RewriteRule ^qualifications-and-training$ "$0/" [R=301,L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^qualifications-and-training/$ qualifications-and-training.php [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^qualifications-and-training/.*?([^\.\/]*)\.html$ qualifications-and-training.php?pname=$1 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^qualifications-and-training/([1-2]\d{3})/(?:(0[1-9]|1[0-2])/(?:(0[1-9]|1[0-9]|2[0-9]|3[0-1])/)?)?$ qualifications-and-training.php?d=$1$2$3 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^qualifications-and-training/[^\.]*?([^/\.]*)/$ qualifications-and-training.php?fname=$1 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^qualifications-and-training/[^\.]*?([^/\.]*)$ "$0/" [R=301,L,QSA]

#privacy.php
RewriteRule ^privacy$ "$0/" [R=301,L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^privacy/$ privacy.php [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^privacy/.*?([^\.\/]*)\.html$ privacy.php?pname=$1 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^privacy/([1-2]\d{3})/(?:(0[1-9]|1[0-2])/(?:(0[1-9]|1[0-9]|2[0-9]|3[0-1])/)?)?$ privacy.php?d=$1$2$3 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^privacy/[^\.]*?([^/\.]*)/$ privacy.php?fname=$1 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^privacy/[^\.]*?([^/\.]*)$ "$0/" [R=301,L,QSA]

#globals.php
RewriteRule ^globals$ "$0/" [R=301,L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^globals/$ globals.php [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^globals/.*?([^\.\/]*)\.html$ globals.php?pname=$1 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^globals/([1-2]\d{3})/(?:(0[1-9]|1[0-2])/(?:(0[1-9]|1[0-9]|2[0-9]|3[0-1])/)?)?$ globals.php?d=$1$2$3 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^globals/[^\.]*?([^/\.]*)/$ globals.php?fname=$1 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^globals/[^\.]*?([^/\.]*)$ "$0/" [R=301,L,QSA]

#getting-started.php
RewriteRule ^getting-started$ "$0/" [R=301,L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^getting-started/$ getting-started.php [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^getting-started/.*?([^\.\/]*)\.html$ getting-started.php?pname=$1 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^getting-started/([1-2]\d{3})/(?:(0[1-9]|1[0-2])/(?:(0[1-9]|1[0-9]|2[0-9]|3[0-1])/)?)?$ getting-started.php?d=$1$2$3 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^getting-started/[^\.]*?([^/\.]*)/$ getting-started.php?fname=$1 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^getting-started/[^\.]*?([^/\.]*)$ "$0/" [R=301,L,QSA]

#explorer.php
RewriteRule ^explorer$ "$0/" [R=301,L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^explorer/$ explorer.php [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^explorer/.*?([^\.\/]*)\.html$ explorer.php?pname=$1 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^explorer/([1-2]\d{3})/(?:(0[1-9]|1[0-2])/(?:(0[1-9]|1[0-9]|2[0-9]|3[0-1])/)?)?$ explorer.php?d=$1$2$3 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^explorer/[^\.]*?([^/\.]*)/$ explorer.php?fname=$1 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^explorer/[^\.]*?([^/\.]*)$ "$0/" [R=301,L,QSA]

#examples-from-therapy.php
RewriteRule ^examples-from-therapy$ "$0/" [R=301,L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^examples-from-therapy/$ examples-from-therapy.php [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^examples-from-therapy/.*?([^\.\/]*)\.html$ examples-from-therapy.php?pname=$1 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^examples-from-therapy/([1-2]\d{3})/(?:(0[1-9]|1[0-2])/(?:(0[1-9]|1[0-9]|2[0-9]|3[0-1])/)?)?$ examples-from-therapy.php?d=$1$2$3 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^examples-from-therapy/[^\.]*?([^/\.]*)/$ examples-from-therapy.php?fname=$1 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^examples-from-therapy/[^\.]*?([^/\.]*)$ "$0/" [R=301,L,QSA]

#cookies.php
RewriteRule ^cookies$ "$0/" [R=301,L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^cookies/$ cookies.php [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^cookies/.*?([^\.\/]*)\.html$ cookies.php?pname=$1 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^cookies/([1-2]\d{3})/(?:(0[1-9]|1[0-2])/(?:(0[1-9]|1[0-9]|2[0-9]|3[0-1])/)?)?$ cookies.php?d=$1$2$3 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^cookies/[^\.]*?([^/\.]*)/$ cookies.php?fname=$1 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^cookies/[^\.]*?([^/\.]*)$ "$0/" [R=301,L,QSA]

#contact.php
RewriteRule ^contact$ "$0/" [R=301,L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^contact/$ contact.php [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^contact/.*?([^\.\/]*)\.html$ contact.php?pname=$1 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^contact/([1-2]\d{3})/(?:(0[1-9]|1[0-2])/(?:(0[1-9]|1[0-9]|2[0-9]|3[0-1])/)?)?$ contact.php?d=$1$2$3 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^contact/[^\.]*?([^/\.]*)/$ contact.php?fname=$1 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^contact/[^\.]*?([^/\.]*)$ "$0/" [R=301,L,QSA]

#backup.php
RewriteRule ^backup$ "$0/" [R=301,L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^backup/$ backup.php [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^backup/.*?([^\.\/]*)\.html$ backup.php?pname=$1 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^backup/([1-2]\d{3})/(?:(0[1-9]|1[0-2])/(?:(0[1-9]|1[0-9]|2[0-9]|3[0-1])/)?)?$ backup.php?d=$1$2$3 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^backup/[^\.]*?([^/\.]*)/$ backup.php?fname=$1 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^backup/[^\.]*?([^/\.]*)$ "$0/" [R=301,L,QSA]

#areas-i-may-help-with.php
RewriteRule ^areas-i-may-help-with$ "$0/" [R=301,L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^areas-i-may-help-with/$ areas-i-may-help-with.php [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^areas-i-may-help-with/.*?([^\.\/]*)\.html$ areas-i-may-help-with.php?pname=$1 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^areas-i-may-help-with/([1-2]\d{3})/(?:(0[1-9]|1[0-2])/(?:(0[1-9]|1[0-9]|2[0-9]|3[0-1])/)?)?$ areas-i-may-help-with.php?d=$1$2$3 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^areas-i-may-help-with/[^\.]*?([^/\.]*)/$ areas-i-may-help-with.php?fname=$1 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^areas-i-may-help-with/[^\.]*?([^/\.]*)$ "$0/" [R=301,L,QSA]

#404.php
RewriteRule ^404$ "$0/" [R=301,L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^404/$ 404.php [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^404/.*?([^\.\/]*)\.html$ 404.php?pname=$1 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^404/([1-2]\d{3})/(?:(0[1-9]|1[0-2])/(?:(0[1-9]|1[0-9]|2[0-9]|3[0-1])/)?)?$ 404.php?d=$1$2$3 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^404/[^\.]*?([^/\.]*)/$ 404.php?fname=$1 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^404/[^\.]*?([^/\.]*)$ "$0/" [R=301,L,QSA]

#index.php
RewriteRule ^.*?([^\.\/]*)\.html$ ?pname=$1 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^([1-2]\d{3})/(?:(0[1-9]|1[0-2])/(?:(0[1-9]|1[0-9]|2[0-9]|3[0-1])/)?)?$ ?d=$1$2$3 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^[^\.]*?([^/\.]*)/$ ?fname=$1 [L,QSA]
RewriteRule ^\w[^\.]*?([^/\.]*)$ "$0/" [R=301,L,QSA]
</IfModule>

[cheesypoof]

Changes to .htaccess are supposed to take effect immediately. It is quite odd then that you are seeing pretty URLs working without having any of the related rewrite directives in your .htaccess. The white screen you saw was possibly the result of ioncube failing to work.

If I was encountering this problem I would add the previous Couch generated .htaccess code to the new one:

Code: Select all

AddHandler x-mapp-php5 .php3 .php4 .php .phtml

Options +Indexes +FollowSymlinks -MultiViews
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On

...

[KK]

@potato, in cases where a faulty .htaccess shuts one off from accessing the site or admin-panel, one can always use FTP to delete it and get things back to normal.
You said that you edited the .htaccess file during the white-out period. I wonder if you tried deleting the file altogether?

thanks @cheesypoof @kk - I'm packing my bags and off on holiday - so I think I'll let this particular sleeping dog lie until I get back - better to have a website than a white screen. Then I'll follow through with recreating the .htaccess and trying to get the 404.php file to work. Something to look forward to when I get back