Custom permalinks wreck pagination

[pushkin]

My site is: ​http://golovegreece.com/

I can only get Permalinks to work in all scenarios – categories, tags, posts, pagination – only on Default setting. In Custom setting, I can get Permalinks to work for everything… except for pagination – when changing pages using 1,2,3 function – when a 404 error page comes up. In this case, the Custom setting is:

/archives/%postname%/

though I've noticed where I have 'archive's it doesn't matter what I have, it'll work – i.e. work except for pagination.

I have been through the support forums, the codex, gone through every relevant post on google and tried, without success, the following solutions:

1. Renamed, deleted, recreated .htaccess file.
2. 'Flushed' permalink settings.
3. Tried a different theme.
4. Tested permalinks on local server – Custom settings and pagination works fine on local server.
5. Added plug-ins that claim to resolve issue.
6. Deactivated all plug-ins.

I am on a Mac 10.4.11 using Safari and Firefox as browsers

[scribu]

when changing pages using 1,2,3 function

Maybe that function generates incorrect URLs. What do they look like?

[pushkin]

Hello and thanks for getting back.

The URLs are as follows:

On Front Page navigation – located bottom left of my site's front page – using the Custom permalink, the URL comes up as ​http://golovegreece.com/page/2/. This leads to error 404.

With Default Permalink, the URL is: ​http://golovegreece.com/?s=athens&paged=2
(This works).

And when I use Search Site function, top right in menu bar – e.g. if I search for Athens – then with Custom permalink, the URL leads to ​http://golovegreece.com/page/2/. This is an error page.

While doing exactly the same search with Default permalink brings up the URL
​http://golovegreece.com/?s=athens&paged=2. This works fine.

I should add that I've tried exactly the same process, with Custom permalinks, on a local server, and the above URLs – ​http://golovegreece.com/page/2/ and ​http://golovegreece.com/page/2/ – which cause 404 on the live site, work correctly. So, it appears to be a live site problem.

[scribu]

Does it work if you use semi-pretty permalinks, i.e. /index.php/archives/%postname%/ ?

[pushkin]

Do you mean if I put the following – index.php/archives/%postname%/ – into Settings>Permalinks>Custom Structure?

If this is what you mean, then it doesn't work. It comes up with a white page and 'No input file specified' in top left corner.

[scribu]

Yeah, that's what I meant.

So, what does your .htaccess look like?

[pushkin]

With Permalink settings on Default, .htaccess file looks like this:

# BEGIN WordPress

# END WordPress

When it's on Custom Structure, using /archives/%postname%, then .htaccess looks like this:

# BEGIN WordPress

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteBase /
RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
</IfModule>

# END WordPress

Permissions is set at 666 and GoDaddy is my hosting service.

[scribu]

Ok, I'm going to leave the reporter-feedback tag there, since we still don't have enough information to pinpoint the problem.

[pushkin]

Do you have any more ideas on this issue? Is there some further information I can provide you with that will help you resolve the problem? I would be happy to provide you with the access information to my site if you need to go into it to see if you find anything backstage.
Thanks

[scribu]

I am sorry, but this looks like a support issue. Try ​http://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting

[pushkin]

No, I'm sorry, I do not believe this is a support issue. Naturally, I tried the support forums before coming here. I spent a month asking various questions and trying out every possible solution. None of them have worked! Clearly, given the number of questions on the support forum regarding permalinks, Wordpress has a problem in getting these to work properly. This is a bug or structural issue and I would appreciate a resolution, otherwise it seriously diminishes the functionality of my site. I repeat: I am happy to provide you with any further details you require, including access to my site. Please advise as to the steps I should take to resolve this very important issue.

[scribu]

Clearly, given the number of questions on the support forum regarding permalinks, Wordpress has a problem in getting these to work properly.

The fact that people have trouble with pagination does not mean that they have the same trouble as you.

This is a bug or structural issue and I would appreciate a resolution

You have no basis to conclude that, since it is working on your local install.

I am happy to provide you with any further details you require, including access to my site.

I am sorry, but I do not have time to debug this issue for you. Perhaps someone else does.

[pushkin]

Actually, the exact problem I have with permalinks and pagination is widespread; so, yes, people do have the same problem and there is unquestionably an issue Wordpress needs to address.

Having tried every possible resolution to the issue provided by support and from here and given the amount of wordpress users experiencing similar problems, then I have every reason to suppose that there is a structural problem here.

If you are not willing to help, then why did you even bother to take the ticket? You're wasting my time as well as your own. How can I find someone more amenable? Should I start another ticket?

[SergeyBiryukov]

Replying to pushkin:

Actually, the exact problem I have with permalinks and pagination is widespread; so, yes, people do have the same problem and there is unquestionably an issue Wordpress needs to address.

Generally, problems with pagination come from a misunderstanding how query_posts() works (#16168, #16450, #19463, #19985, #20032 and others).

Since you have reproduced the issue with a different theme (have you tried Twenty Eleven though?) and all plugins disabled, this might not be the cause in your case.

Since pagination works fine on your local server, I suppose that your remote server is somehow misconfigured, which makes it a support issue.

Even though you haven't been able to resolve the issue through the support forums so far, that's still the most appropriate venue, until the exact bug is identified and confirmed by other contributors.

[helenyhou]

Replying to pushkin:

If you are not willing to help, then why did you even bother to take the ticket? You're wasting my time as well as your own. How can I find someone more amenable? Should I start another ticket?

Tickets here are meant to report and track progress of bugs (and their fixes), feature requests, and enhancements. They're not support tickets, as your statement seems to suggest you may believe. Opening another ticket will not help - it would (rightfully) be closed as a duplicate of this one.

[arieputranto]

Replying to pushkin:

Actually, the exact problem I have with permalinks and pagination is widespread; so, yes, people do have the same problem and there is unquestionably an issue Wordpress needs to address.

IMHO, nothing wrong with the permalinks and pagination in WordPress. You can abuse it to work whatever you like, as well as make it not working like the way you want. If you do understand how WP rewrite works, you should be able to debug it yourself.

I believe, you will find that the problem is not on the core. My questions are, regarding to your issue, how do you achieve your pagination? If you are using paginate_links(), what was the $args?

Please do check your theme once again.