apache mod_rewrite not working with .htaccess file - linux

Question

OK, I've been having some issues with aws or something, such that I cannot seem to get mod_rewrite to work.
Just for testing purposes I've done the following:
1 used aws console to deploy fresh ami 64 bit instance from wizard
2 yum installed apache
3 edited /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf:
so that
<Directory />
Options FollowSymLinks
AllowOverride None
</Directory>
looks like
<Directory />
Options FollowSymLinks
AllowOverride All
</Directory>
4 made sure that
LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.so
is in the file and uncommented.
5 restarted apache:
sudo /sbin/service httpd restart
6 created two new files:
/var/www/html/test1.html
contains:
this is test1!
/var/www/html/test2.html
contains:
this is test2!
7 created file:
/var/www/html/.htaccess
contains (IN TOTAL):
RewriteEngine on
RewriteRule ^test1\.html$ test2.html [L]
8 went to:
http://[my aws server]/test1.html
Am getting "this is test1!"
I am doing something wrong here, but for the life of me I have no idea what. Any help is greatly appreciated...
EDIT: I added nonsense chars/numbers to the beginning of my .htaccess file, and restarted apache (not 100% sure that is needed, but what the hey...), and nothing happened. In other words, I expected that going to the url [aws server]/test1.html would result in some kind of error, but it did not. I suspect apache is not even reading the .htaccess file.
EDIT: I added the following to my httpd.conf file:
RewriteLog "/tmp/rewrite.log"
RewriteLogLevel 9
The file is created when I restart apache, but nothing ever goes in there when I go to either page I've set up. I'm failing to do something very, very basic here, but I'm not sure what...

Answer 1

Not sure if this is the cause of your problems, but you shouldn't mess with the
<Directory />
Options FollowSymLinks
AllowOverride None
</Directory>
line, and it should be something like:
<Directory />
Options FollowSymLinks
AllowOverride None
Deny from all
</Directory>
You should add the directory of your document root as a different container:
<Directory /var/www/html/>
Options FollowSymLinks
AllowOverride All
Allow from all
</Directory>

Answer 2

Took me a while to find this but in some installs Apache will use multiple config files.
Look in "/etc/apache2/sites-enabled/000-default" and check that AllowOveride is set to All

Answer 3

Try it. This work for me.
The first, you need to make sure the .htaccess file put in correct directory.
For this, you go to sites-enabled folder and check which the .conf files are enabled.
cd /etc/apache2/sites-enabled
ls
Ex: 000-default.conf
Then, goto sites-available folder to edit that .conf file.
cd ../sites-available
sudo gedit 000-default.conf
Find to DocumentRoot and check directory again.
If you put .htaccess file in /var/www/html/.htaccess so this line look like this:
DocumentRoot /var/www/html/
The second, You need modify <Directory> block look like this.
<Directory /var/www/html>
Options Indexes FollowSymLinks MultiViews
AllowOverride None
Order allow,deny
allow from all
# This directive allows us to have apache2's default start page
# in /apache2-default/, but still have / go to the right place
#RedirectMatch ^/$ /apache2-default/
</Directory>
Finally, you save file and restart apache
service apache2 restart
Hope this help!