Common .htaccess Migration Issue from Apache to LiteSpeed and What to Do

Learn how to handle .htaccess migration issue from Apache to LiteSpeed with clear causes, solutions, and practical rewrite rule examples. Our Live Support Team is always here to help you.

Common .htaccess Migration Issue from Apache to LiteSpeed and What to Do

Migrating websites often looks simple until you hit an .htaccess migration issue from Apache to LiteSpeed. The problem is that while LiteSpeed is built to be Apache-compatible, it doesn’t interpret every directive or module the same way. This gap can cause redirects to break, caching conflicts to show up, or rewrite rules to silently fail. For site owners, that means errors, downtime, and headaches. Let’s break down why it happens and how to solve it without wasting time.

Why Migration Issues Occur

The most common causes of migration issue from Apache to LiteSpeed include:

1. LiteSpeed does not support all Apache modules. Trouble often comes with:

• • mod_auth_basic
  • mod_cache
  • mod_deflate
  • mod_evasive
  • mod_security (LiteSpeed uses its own security engine)
  • User permissions may differ between Apache and LiteSpeed.
  • LiteSpeed has its own built-in  caching (LSCache), which may conflict with Apache cache rules (details here).
  • Incompatible rewrite rule syntax.
  • Unsupported Apache directives.
  • Mismatched mod_rewrite implementations.

Practical Example with Rewrite Rules

Here’s one of the most common trouble points. A redirect that works fine in Apache can break in LiteSpeed:

RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} ^\/directory/$ [C]

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} type=supplier&category=([a-zA-Z0-9-_]*) [C]

RewriteRule ^/?(.*)$ /suppliers/type/%1 [L,QSD,R=301]

Here’s why this fails:

• The C (chain) flag does not belong on RewriteCond. It’s a RewriteRule flag. Apache would show a 500 error, but LiteSpeed may just ignore it.
• The regex [a-zA-Z0-9-_]* is written incorrectly. The hyphen should either be escaped or placed at the start or end. Instead, use \w which simplifies things.
• You can also move the URL-path check into the RewriteRule itself.
• The corrected version looks like this:

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} ^type=supplier&category=([\w-]*)

RewriteRule ^directory/$ /suppliers/type/%1 [QSD,R=301,L]

If LiteSpeed doesn’t accept the QSD flag (which came with Apache 2.4), you can tweak it like this:

RewriteRule ^directory/$ /suppliers/type/%1? [R=301,L]

Place this redirect near the top of your .htaccess file.

Other Workarounds

You might try keeping this condition:

RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} ^/directory/$ [C]

If it doesn’t help, enable rewrite debug logging in LiteSpeed to trace what’s happening.

Also, always check correct file ownership and permissions. Sometimes, the issue isn’t the rewrite rule but simply permissions blocking LiteSpeed from reading .htaccess.

Another approach is bypassing inefficient rules altogether and handling subdomains directly in PHP:

$url_parts = explode('.', str_replace('.example.com', '', $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST']));

$subdomain = ($url_parts[0] !== '') ? $url_parts[0] : '';

From there, you can just redirect to the right page once you detect the subdomain.

How to Move Apache to LiteSpeed Safely

And now, for the actual move from Apache to LiteSpeed:

1. First, purchase a LiteSpeed server license from the cPanel store, and obtain root access to the server.

2. Next, install LiteSpeed on your server. Use the official installation guide from LiteSpeed Technologies for details.

3. Then, log in to WHM with root credentials.

4. Navigate to the LiteSpeed Web Server plugin in WHM. If you don’t see it, search under LiteSpeed or Plugins.

5. You may see a warning about the ruid2 Apache module. Since it’s incompatible with LiteSpeed, disable it:

• Go to EasyApache in WHM.
• Click Customize under “Currently Installed Packages.”
• Select Apache Modules, find ruid2, and turn it off.
• Click Review and then Provision to apply changes.

6. Finally, click the Switch to LiteSpeed icon in WHM. It may take a few minutes. Confirm the selection, and WHM will load LiteSpeed.

At this point, your site has been successfully switched from Apache to LiteSpeed.

[If needed, Our team is available 24/7 for additional assistance.]

Conclusion

A migration issue from Apache to LiteSpeed usually comes down to rewrite rules, unsupported modules, or caching conflicts. The good news is LiteSpeed is highly capable once properly configured. With corrected rules, proper permissions, and a clean install through WHM, you’ll run it without surprises.