[RESOLVED] rewrite but no htaccess support

[cretaceous]

My client has a site on a shared server with Claranet in the uk

It's running Apache but doesn't seem to support htaccess, let alone showing mod_rewrite in php info
(installing an htaccess file with minimal lines gives a server error.. so it clearly interprets it, but makes it fall over)

Claranet give evasive replies but I guess I'm stuffed with regard to any rewriting?

Why would they not allow htaccess ?
- all I can think of is to force an upgrade to a more expensive package

(not sure which section to post this in)

[bradgrafelman]

cretaceous wrote:

installing an htaccess file with minimal lines gives a server error

What were the lines you added? Can you show us the contents of an .htaccess file that you tried? What was the error logged in Apache's error logged when you got the "server error" (which I'm guessing was actually a 500 error - internal server error).

[cretaceous]

this was around a year ago when I wanted to set a php ini line to force large file upload
(in the end after weeks of messing around, the host agreed to change their upload restrictions)
but this time round I want to rewrite the urls

I would have added something innocuous, I hope, but it's too long ago to know now

But that's not really the point - if mod_rewrite is not shown under phpinfo() is there any way it is available?
PHP is running as CGI module - would that stop mod_rewrite appearing as installed?
I have asked the host but don't yet have a sensible reply

I just don't want to promise to the client I can do it when the host doesn't allow it
- something which has bit me before when encountering the Zeus webserver
[footnote: yes, Zeus webserver can do rewrites though using their own script format BUT not all Zeus installs support the Zeus rewrite script]

[cretaceous]

ok.. mod_rewrite is available though it doesn't show in php info cos php is running as CGI