hello,
i installed through fantastico and received the http://mysite.com/links/directory when i tried to view the site. this ultimately had no useful output. so, i looked for my .htaccess file to make the suggested changes and it was not visible. mind you i say not visible, but it is there. i tried to create a new .htaccess file and was informed that one already exsisted in that directory for the links. i even was able to find it through the cPanel search. however, i am unable to gain access to the .htaccess file by any means that i know (which are few).
what should i do?
thank you,
beeun

The Cpanel file manager widgets I've used have a built in editor, that would allow you to edit the file on the server. If possible, navigate to the file, and select it. In mine I get the option to edit it via a link in the upper right corner of the page.

If you are using an FTP program to fetch the file and edit it locally, you may have to find an option in the program and change it, something similar to Windows "show hidden & system files", In linux/unix its traditional to have system related files start with a period, so many FTP programs simply do not show them, but some can be made to.

Finally, when down/uploading the ,htaccess file, make sure to use ASCII/text transfer method, instead of binary

For FTP on windows, I would suggest FTP Surfer.....FTP Surfer is a free FTP client for Windows. This means that you can freely use this software at no charge. you can download it here... http://www.whispertech.com/surfer/download.htm

I have been using it for over 4 years on different PCs and am very happy with it. Easy to use, fast, you can save site profiles and freeware too! Once installed, be sure to open the options and choose the option for viewing invisable files and view files beginging with a period....like .htaccess