APACHE: Problem with mod_rewrite setup

One way to see if mod_rewrite is installed is to create a file called info.php with the following contents

 <?php echo phpinfo(); ?> 

Put the file in your server root and view it at http://localhost/info.php. Go to the apache section and look at Loaded Modules. If you see mod_rewrite listed there, you can start using the mod_rewrite commands. If not, you have to play with the apache config file: http.conf, add the following (a website told me to do this):

LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.so
AddModule mod_rewrite.c

... and make sure the mod_rewrite.so file is in the right place. Then restart your web server. (suse linux: "rcapache2 restart", or windows: Control Panel->Administrative Tools->Services, right click on Apache and select restart)

PROBLEM:
Apache fails to restart.

In windows you can discover the reason using the Event Viewer (Control Panel->Administrative Tools->Services->Event Viewer). It gives the error for Apache:
Invalid command 'AddModule', perhaps mis-spelled or defined by a module not included in the server configuration

REASON:
AddModule for mod_rewrite is for apache 1.2 to 1.3x, but not apache2. I was running Apache2, so instead, the following worked for me in the apache config file:

LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.so

Now restart apache, and check your http://localhost/info.php file and Voila! mod_rewrite is there, listed as a Loaded Module.

Now as for how to actually use mod_rewrite there are a lot of examples out there,
thats what google is for, right?

http://hypermail.linklord.com/new-httpd.old/2001/Jul/0863.html

INSTALL: PHP5+APACHE2+WIN32

Installing php 5, apache 2 in a win32 environment is easy. Sometimes enabling extensions can be difficult, but we will be enabling php_curl.dll, php_mysql.dll, php_mcrypt.dll, and php_mssql.dll.

Download PHP5 zip package
(the .zip with all the extensions, not the .exe installer)
Download Apache2 from http://http.apache.org
(link to 2.2.2 /w no SSL)
Unzip PHP5 to C:\PHP
Run the apache2 installer

if you have a folder named C:\PHP\extensions rename it to C:\PHP\ext
rename C:\PHP\php.ini-recommmended to C:\PHP\php.ini
edit C:\PHP\php.ini,
change the extension_dir to "C:\php\ext" (include quotation marks)
remove the ; from line: ;extension=php_curl.dll
remove the ; from line: ;extension=php_mysql.dll
remove the ; from line: ;extension=php_mcrypt.dll
remove the ; from line: ;extension=php_mssql.dll

edit http.conf, add the following lines to the bottom (default location-
c:\program files\apache group\apache2\conf\http.conf)
LoadModule php5_module "c:/php/php5apache2.dll"
AddType application/x-http-php .php
# configure the path to php.ini
PHPIniDir "C:\php"

Now, right-click on "My Computer", go to "Properties", go to the "Advanced" tab, click on the "Environment Variables" button. Under "System" add ";C:\php;C:\php\ext" to your PATH variable.

create a file called
c:\program files\apache group\apache2\htdocs\phpinfo.php
containing the text

<?php phpinfo(); ?>

When you reboot next, your PATH settings will be available to all programs, your apache2 will load as a service, it will see the new version of the http.conf file with the modifications you made, and will see the new php.ini file with the modifications you made, and when you hit "http://localhost/phpinfo.php" you will see an html version of your php.ini file with all of the settings, and you will see sections for each of the php extensions you have enabled.