Enabling Clean URLs on a Netfirms Server

I am setting up a site for a client on a Netfirms server. We need clean URLs, so I made the necessary changes to the .htaccess file (i.e., set the rewrite base to the proper location). I then went to the clean URLs page on the site, and ran the test. The URL display indicated that in fact clean URLs were working.

Yet the radio button that would allow me to select clean URLs remained grey (that is, I could not select that as an option).

Here is what I did to correct this and enable clean URLs:

1. Use phpMyAdmin to get into the database for the site.

2. Back up the database.

3. Click the SQL tab.

4. Enter the following into the query box:

UPDATE `variable` SET `value` = 's:1:"1";' WHERE `name` = 'clean_url' LIMIT 1 ;

5. Click Go.

6. Return to the clean URLs page on your site and reload the page.

7. If the button is still greyed out, change a setting on your site. For example, go to site configuration, file system, and change public to private. and click Submit.

8. Return to the clean URL page on your site, reload the page, and it should now allow you to enable clean URLs.

9. Return to the file system config page and reset file download method to public.

10. Live happily ever after.