Site just looks wrong - what have(n't) I done?

[Twaddle]

If renaming/deleting/editing the htacess in the includes folder DOES solve this, he also needs to do the same in the admin/includes folder I think...?

[Vger]

Well, of course it's giving a 500 error if you try to access the file directly from outside of the website - it should either do that or throw a 403 error.

Vger

What I meant though, here is where his stylesheet should be, and it's giving the 500 error, not when you access the site itself

I'd agree about removing/renaming the .htaccess file, though editing it as you suggest I have no idea, either way, worth a try

[Vger]

The reason for the suggested edit of the .htaccess file is that my experience tells me that some servers won't accept the file as it is written by default and needs for the *.php to be enclosed in double quotation marks (then it works). This is preferable to removing the .htaccess file.

Yes, the same would need to be applied to the admin/includes .htaccess file.

Vger

[Twaddle]

Well, of course it's giving a 500 error if you try to access the file directly from outside of the website - it should either do that or throw a 403 error.

Vger

Not on a standard install it shouldn't

[Twaddle]

Well, of course it's giving a 500 error if you try to access the file directly from outside of the website - it should either do that or throw a 403 error.

Vger

LOL - no error here

[Vger]

Not on a standard install it shouldn't

Yes, it should - unless you are on an insecure server with Directory Browsing enabled. In which case you're stuffed anyway from a security point of view. If Directory Browsing is enabled then goodness knows what other insecure openings there are on the server.

You should be seeing something like this when trying to access files outside of the root directly:

Access forbidden!
You don't have permission to access the requested object. It is either read-protected or not readable by the server.

If you think this is a server error, please contact the webmaster.

Error 403

Vger

[Vger]

That's because the stylesheet for that application is not in the 'includes' folder, or any of the subfolders working out of it.

Vger

LOL - no error here

[Twaddle]

That's because the stylesheet for that application is not in the 'includes' folder, or any of the subfolders working out of it.

Vger

But you said...

You should be seeing something like this when trying to access files outside of the root directly:

Access forbidden!
You don't have permission to access the requested object. It is either read-protected or not readable by the server.

If you think this is a server error, please contact the webmaster.

Error 403

Anyway, not to get into some dumb ding dong as I was just pulling your leg a bit there, my point is, at a guess 9/10 sites (you only have to look at any of the showcase sites) you can directly access the stylesheet if you know the relevant path

And if I remember correctly it's all controlled by Index Listing in cPanel for each directory?

[Twaddle]

at a guess 9/10 sites (you only have to look at any of the showcase sites) you can directly access the stylesheet if you know the relevant path

Using includes/templates/classic/css/stylesheet.css and going through the sites in the Zen Cart Showcase, I was able to read each and every one of the CSS files directly within Firefox on the first page there, with the exception of one that came up with a phishing error

[Vger]

No, fair do's, I was wrong. The css files are flat text files which aren't executable, and the poster should be able to access them from outside of the site. I've checked on a variety of carts now on different servers and they all serve up css files outside of the root. Just goes to show even oldies like me can get it wrong sometimes.

However, the way the .htaccess file is constructed inside the includes folders may still be relevant (even though they relate to php files). Images/buttons are also being blocked. I recommend making the edit I suggested, and if that does not work then try adding just a blank .htaccess file to the includes folders - and if that doesn't work then remove it completely (as a trial only).

Making the edit as suggested has cured this problem before.

Vger