Clean URLs with Apache 2 - above DocumentRoot on virtual private servers

To set up clean URLs above web document root on virtual private servers, you need to change a setting in httpd.conf.

(default setting)
Options FollowSymLinks
AllowOverride None

Change it to
Options FollowSymLinks
AllowOverride All

None of the other changes discussed in this section of the handbook were necessary (and in fact had to be undone).

The hosting provide said this does not provide any security issues (no guarantees).

You may need to reset the VPS before the changes take effect.