I helped someone finish up a site move earlier today. They had already moved the files and the database over. All I needed to do was help set up the files, import the database, make sure the permissions were proper and double check any final configuration settings.
When I was finishing it up I always check the permissions of the .htaccess file. It’s one file that is easy to miss. On a fresh install it doesn’t even exist so I normally create it and make sure it has writable permissions since WordPress is fully capable of setting up the .htaccess file for you if you change the permalink settings.
In this case, the file was missing, the person who had moved the files didn’t move this particular file. It does happen on occasion. In Linux anything that starts with a period is a hidden file. If you download via FTP you might not see it by default.
But on this site I didn’t even think about it not being moved. I was busy at the time and I had checked the site and it was showing up so I assumed good to go. I did however create the file and give it writable permissions. I figured some people don’t use the permalink setup, but in case they ever did in the future it’s set up so WordPress can write it for them.
Well you know what they say about assumptions. Naturally, I found out later none of their post links were working. A quick check on the site and sure enough it was trying to use permalink but the .htaccess was empty so it wasn’t working.
Luckily this was an easy fix. I had already created the file and made it writable. I logged into their admin, went to permalink settings, turned the settings off, saved, turned it back on how they had it, saved, and good to go. The site was back to working.
Lesson for me, don’t assume. Lesson for others, make sure you move those hidden files. Those little buggers are hiding after all.
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