OK, I have tried this multiple times in multiple ways and I can't get the SEO function to work on Joomla 1.5 being hosted on LunarPages.
I'm not saying that it isn't possible.  I am saying that every tutorial I have followed hasn't worked.

I have tried installing the Latest version of Joomla 1.5, I have also tried with the version of Joomla 1.5 that you can install using Fantasico.

I changed the name of the htaccess.txt to .htaccess in the root directory of the Joomla install.
I also turned on SEO in Joomla's back-end, with and without " Use Apache mod_rewrite" checked.

I make sure to delete all cookies every time I make a change.

The only result I get is that yes, the URL gets converted to something that is "search-friendly".
Every page I click on , other than the home page, I get either the 404 not found error or I get my page scrambled up with no theme skin.


Please assist.

Hello, MrPhil, and thank you for replying.


The .htaccess file is labeled correctly and has the permissions set to 644.

The .htaccess file is located in my Joomla install directory folder.        www.mydomain.com/joomlaDirectory

Below is a cut/paste of what is in the .htaccess file.  It is the default from when you install Joomla.

Am I supposed to change something there or do I need to contact LunarPages to activate the htaccess, Apache, or something?

---------------------------------------------------

##
# @version $Id: htaccess.txt 10492 2008-07-02 06:38:28Z ircmaxell $
# @package Joomla
# @copyright Copyright (C) 2005 - 2008 Open Source Matters. All rights reserved.
# @license http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU/GPL
# Joomla! is Free Software
##


#####################################################
#  READ THIS COMPLETELY IF YOU CHOOSE TO USE THIS FILE
#
# The line just below this section: 'Options +FollowSymLinks' may cause problems
# with some server configurations.  It is required for use of mod_rewrite, but may already
# be set by your server administrator in a way that dissallows changing it in
# your .htaccess file.  If using it causes your server to error out, comment it out (add # to
# beginning of line), reload your site in your browser and test your sef url's.  If they work,
# it has been set by your server administrator and you do not need it set here.
#
#####################################################

##  Can be commented out if causes errors, see notes above.
Options +FollowSymLinks

#
#  mod_rewrite in use

RewriteEngine On

########## Begin - Rewrite rules to block out some common exploits
## If you experience problems on your site block out the operations listed below
## This attempts to block the most common type of exploit `attempts` to Joomla!
#
# Block out any script trying to set a mosConfig value through the URL
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} mosConfig_[a-zA-Z_]{1,21}(=|\%3D) [OR]
# Block out any script trying to base64_encode crap to send via URL
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} base64_encode.*\(.*\) [OR]
# Block out any script that includes a <script> tag in URL
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (\<|%3C).*script.*(\>|%3E) [NC,OR]
# Block out any script trying to set a PHP GLOBALS variable via URL
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} GLOBALS(=|\[|\%[0-9A-Z]{0,2}) [OR]
# Block out any script trying to modify a _REQUEST variable via URL
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} _REQUEST(=|\[|\%[0-9A-Z]{0,2})
# Send all blocked request to homepage with 403 Forbidden error!
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ index.php [F,L]
#
########## End - Rewrite rules to block out some common exploits

#  Uncomment following line if your webserver's URL
#  is not directly related to physical file paths.
#  Update Your Joomla! Directory (just / for root)

# RewriteBase /


########## Begin - Joomla! core SEF Section
#
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !^/index.php
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} (/|\.php|\.html|\.htm|\.feed|\.pdf|\.raw|/[^.]*)$  [NC]
RewriteRule (.*) index.php
RewriteRule .* - [E=HTTP_AUTHORIZATION:%{HTTP:Authorization},L]
#
########## End - Joomla! core SEF Section

Hello again, MrPhil.


The way I have my webspace set up is the following.

I have a domain name www.mydomain.com

I like to experiment with different forum packages and such to toy around with making skins and such.
I give each installation of of a forum package or Joomla CMS its own folder.
One site can be www.mydomain.com/PHPBBforum
Another site would be www.mydomain.com/myJoomlaSite
and so on.

So yes, in my public_html folder I would put the other folders containt different installs of whatever I have going on.

This means that each different installation of a forum or Joomla package will have its respective index.php file within the fold that it resides in, not the main root directory of www.mydomain.com

This is what you would see...  www.mydomain.com/myJoomlaSite/index.php   or  www.mydomain.com/PHPBBforum/index.php depending on which site you wanted to go to.

I don't like to commit my host to only one site because I like to work on different things at the same time. 

I also have a separate folder to show of special effects clips or pictures I made for friends and family to download. 
These would look like www.mydomain.com/demon/index.html, where the index.html would have a Flash .FLV player embedded in it that would launch as soon as someone went to that directory.

At this point, I am out of ideas.  I am not an expert at this, maybe you can help me come up with a solution?

I thank you for the time you have spent so far and look forward to hearing from you again.