I just downloaded ShineISP and I can see in the archive that its still being distributed with an .htaccess file.
So I was wondering if the project, in the foreseeable future, is sticking with Apache or maybe moving to Nginx or OpenLightSpeed?
I ask, of course, because I use Nginx on all my sites and it doesn't support .htaccess files.
My take on it is that .htaccess files are a resource/performance hog and this is not good for your website/server speed.
Every time Apache handles a request it first checks and processes any .htaccess file in the same directory as the file it is serving. Not everyone knows this but Apache also goes through all the parent directories, and in every single one of them it checks for .htaccess files.
Another issue with dynamic .htaccess files is the fact it is really insecure as it is providing a way to alter server and website settings from a single file that is located inside the home directory of each website. This won't happen if you have your rules inside your Nginx configuration, as only root permission is granted to access them.
And .htaccess files provide a convenient shortcut for the lazy admin (or developer ;-) ), but also kills performance, makes configuration issues more difficult to track down, and opens yet another attack vector on your site.
OK, I've stated my case. Now I will shut up and wait for everyone to attack me ;-)
Terence.