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This is kind of a work around but it might fix your problems in the short-term. It’s a plugin designed to use a different method of rewrite rules. But being a plugin it’s easy to edit out the <IfModule… lines>.

http://boren.nu/archives/2005/03/07/reduced-rewrite-plugin/

Hey dtl, does removing the <IfModule mod_rewrite.c> and </IfModule> lines make your .htaccess work?

Make sure the specific file is writable, not the folder.

ie /wp-content/themes/your theme here/single.php should be chmod 777.

The (possibly) good and (certainly) bad news.

First the bad:

Each WordPress blog requires it’s own install.

example.com/varaonaid
example.com/judy
example.com/jimmy

All separate installs. They can use the same database but that’s a minor issue that just makes installs quicker.

Installation:
1. Install each blog
2. Login: Change your password and create a student user
3. Run through options (ie comments must be approved before posting).

Long term maintenance
– You have to log in to each blog separately. (You can have the same username and password)
– No overview of the blogs. You have to go check and see if there are new comments waiting to be approved, etc
– Adding new themes and plugins. You will have to do this for each install

Although you’ve got full control over all the blogs it’s not easy to manage.

The (possibly) good news:

There is a forked version of WordPress called Multi-user wordpress. I’ve never used it but it’s designed to do what you’re looking for. Check out http://mu.wordpress.org. They don’t have the same support forums as the regular WordPress but they do have a mailing list with developers on it that would be happy to provide assistance.

I’ve never used B2evo so I can’t comment on that. You might also want to check out Drupal. It’s a little more complex than WordPress but it has multiple blog/community blogging built in.

You can include php in posts and pages using the RunPHP or PHPExec plugins.

If you’re pages are really PHP heavy then I think you’re on the right track. I’d create a new template customized how you like and then assign that template to your page(s). That allows you a fully custom page wrapped in WP goodness.

WordPress uses index.php for the index page, single.php for an individual post and archive.php for displaying daily, monthly, yearly, author and category archives. ‘Pages’ can also be created and you can assign any template you create (ie page.php) to them.

So by default WordPress should do what you want. The only time WP would use your index.php for say, a single post, would be if single.php was missing.

Here’s the docs page on themes that gives you a much better overview than I can.
http://codex.wordpress.org/Using_Themes

You’re using version 1.2.1 (checked by viewing the source). That’s the most recent stable, security version before 1.5 (which only came out a month ago). You might want to email your host and see if they have plans to upgrade Fantastico with 1.5.

The is_category function doesn’t exist in 1.2 so you’ll have to use some good ol’ PHP. It sounds like David Chait was doing this in 1.2 so he’ll probably have the solution.

WordPress handles the pretty urls under options -> permalinks. You’ll need to configure them and then WP generates the code for your .htaccess. If your .htaccess is writable then WP would automatically add them. If it’s not you can just cut and paste the code.

Here’s more info:
http://codex.wordpress.org/Using_Permalinks

What about…

<?php wp_list_pages(‘sort_column=time_modified&show_date=modified’); ?>