Saturday, May 17, 2008
Q: What Operating Systems does Hostwire use for its UNIX webservers?
A: Our servers run Redhat and FreeBSD
Q: Does Hostwire have Windows NT webservers?
A: No. We do not currently provide Windows web servers.
Q: What is the .htaccess file?
A: The .htaccess file is a file which is read by Apache (if exists) prior to incoming client request being fulfilled. Your .htaccess file can tell Apache to do certain things, overriding the global configuration for the webserver. The "rules" outlined in the .htaccess file will preside over the directory where the .htaccess file is located and every directory inside of it. Some simple examples of manipulation the webserver include the ability to redirect requests to a different URL, directory index manipulation, error documents, etc.
Important Note: Any incorrect syntax in your .htaccess file will lead to the webserver returning a strange error when you try to visit your website. Therefore, you need to be sure to use proper syntax when writing to your .htaccess file.
Q: How can I change the index listing in a directory?
A: You can change the initial page that is sent to client requests when a directory is accessed by placing the following line into your .htaccess file:
DirectoryIndex filename
Replace "filename" with the actual file you wish displayed when someone visits the directory where your .htaccess file exists. By default, the webserver will display a file named "index.html". If that does not exist, then it displays "index.htm". If that does not exist, then it displays "index.shtml" Finally, if that does not exist either it displays "index.cgi". If there is not index.cgi file either it lists all of the files in the current directory.
