Magento Multi-Store with Domain Alias - 404 Error on 2nd Store

Question

I am trying to configure my magento app for a multistore configuration, I followed the recommended step according to the magentocommerce tutorials below. I am getting a 404 error on the Home page for the 2nd store and cannot find where the configuration is failing. Below are my steps taken, tutorials used and troubleshooting steps taken.

Any help would be appreciated!

Steps Taken

1. Set Default Root Categories – Packaging
   Using same catalog - so using the same default root category
   CATALOG>MANAGE PRODUCTS>
   Enabled Website = C*****-wholesale for products

2. Create new Website, Store & Store Views:
   SYSTEM>MANAGE STORES>
   Website Name = C*****-wholesale
   Code = wholesale
   Store Name = Distributors
   Root Category = Packaging
   Store View - Distributors-English
   Code = dist

3. Create Design Change for Wholesale Theme
   SYSTEM>DESIGN>ADD DESIGN CHANGE>
   Website = C*****-wholesale
   Store = Distributors
   Store View= Distributors-English
   Design =default/modern

4. Changed Design template for scope - C*****-wholesale
   SYSTEM>CONFIGURATION>
   Current Config Scope: C*****-wholesale
   GENERAL>DESIGN>

   • disabled "Use Default"
   • theme>template = modern

5. Add instance of home page for Store View = Distributor-English
   CMS>PAGES>
   Page Title = Home
   Store View = Distributors-English

6. Change Base URLs - Mag Admin
   SYSTEM -> CONFIGURATION -> GENERAL -> WEB
   Changed base urls for scope = C*****-wholesale
   http://dist.c*****ment.com/
   https://dist.c*****ment.com/

7. Add environment directives to htaccess:
   SetEnvIf Host www.dist.c*****ment.com MAGE_RUN_CODE=wholesale
   SetEnvIf Host www.dist.c*****ment.com MAGE_RUN_TYPE=website
   SetEnvIf Host ^dist.c*****ment.com MAGE_RUN_CODE=wholesale
   SetEnvIf Host ^dist.c*****ment.com MAGE_RUN_TYPE=website

8. Reset server and magento app.

   • Restart server
   • Reindexed
     SYSTEM>INDEX MANAGEMENT
   • Cleared caches:
     SYSTEM>CACHE MANAGEMENT
   • Recompiled
     SYSTEM>TOOLS>COMPILATION
   • Manually deleted cache folders var/cache

Tutorials Used

magentocommerce.com/knowledge-base/entry/tutorial-multi-site-multi-domain-setup
magentocommerce.com/wiki/4_-_themes_and_template_customization/navigation/multiple-website-setup
magentocommerce.com/images/uploads/multistore_webinar-flv/multistore_webinar-flv.html

Troubleshooting

1. Use Web Server rewrites - Disabling didn't solve.
   magento.stackexchange.com/questions/19382/magento-new-website-store-products-links-404-error
2. Do not use same name for Website name and Store Name.
   lotusseedsdesign.com/blog/do-not-use-the-same-name-for-website-name-and-store-name

Answer 1

Be sure to set the default home page under Admin -> System -> Configuration -> Design -> Default Pages -> CMS Home Page. Change the Configuration Scope to each Store View and select the CMS pages that you've created for the home pages.

Edit:

Try this approach instead of .htaccess.

index.php

/* Store or website code */
$mageRunCode = isset($_SERVER['MAGE_RUN_CODE']) ? $_SERVER['MAGE_RUN_CODE'] : '';
/* Run store or run website */
$mageRunType = isset($_SERVER['MAGE_RUN_TYPE']) ? $_SERVER['MAGE_RUN_TYPE'] : 'store';
// New code 
switch($_SERVER['HTTP_HOST']) {
 case 'www.dist.c*****ment.com ':
 case 'dist.c*****ment.com ':
 $mageRunCode = 'wholesale';
 $mageRunType = 'website';
 break;
}
// end of New code
Mage::run($mageRunCode, $mageRunType);

• Dana Laney: I have also set the default home page, (omitted from my steps above). I changed the CMS Home Page and Disabled "Use Default" for that option in both the Store View=Distributors-English and Website=C*****-wholesale. Do I also need to change the "Default Web URL" or leave it to "Use Website"?
• seanbreeden: On step 3 above you forgot to edit out your website name. You may want to asterisk that out too.
• seanbreeden: See my answer edit.
• Dana Laney: I revised the htaccess code with the recommended directives above but it didn't solve the 404 error. 1. Add environment directives to htaccess: - SetEnvIf Host www.dist.c*****ment.com MAGE_RUN_CODE=dist - SetEnvIf Host www.dist.c*****ment.com MAGE_RUN_TYPE=store - SetEnvIf Host ^dist.c*****ment.com MAGE_RUN_CODE=dist - SetEnvIf Host ^dist.c*****ment.com MAGE_RUN_TYPE=store
• seanbreeden: Try adding the conditions in your index.php instead. Maybe the .htaccess variables aren't being passed to your index. See edited answer.

Answer 2

Temporarily add this to your index.php

error_log('$mageRunCode '.$mageRunCode);
error_log('$mageRunType '.$mageRunType);
Mage::run($mageRunCode, strtolower($mageRunType));

check if you are getting the settings you expect.

Answer 3

Thanks to @seanbreedan for the clue that a CMS Home Page might not be set.

Even if you don't use the CMS Home Page (i.e. the home page is defined from layout and template files) it needs to be set.

A home page was set in Admin->System->Configuration->Web->Default Pages (note this is a slightly different path, I was in version 1.9) and applied globally to all the websites on my multisite setup.

Next I checked the home page in the CMS Admin->CMS->Pages. Find the home page that was specified in Default Pages, this was "home" in my case.

Check the page is enabled and that the Store View is selected for your websites or stores. In my case it was not enabled for the store that gave 404 errors. Once it was enabled the site worked.