Stupid web hosting/htaccess question

Plus an IP question at no extra charge!

[photon]

If I get a web host that uses *nix servers, does that automatically mean I can create and use an .htaccess file, or is that an additional service I need to check on?

<snip>Answered bonus IP question with a search. Sorry. ;)</snip>

Thanks for your help.

[ogletree]

I signed up for a place that is like $5 a month hosting and they had an .htaccess file that came with it. The answer is yes you will get one for free. It is just a file that sits in the root of your website.

[marcs]

The use of .htaccess must also be enabled in Apache. Having a unix hosting account alone does not guarantee .htaccess will work.

Getting a unique IP depends on the host, some may not be able to provide you with one. Others will and will do so at no extra charge, others may charge extra.

[coopster]

marcs is correct, there is no guarantee that the web hosting provider will grant you that capability (however, most do). You can read more about .htaccess in the Apache Tutorial [httpd.apache.org].

[photon]

That's what I needed to know. Thanks all for your answers.