# Override a File with Apache



## rtwingfield (Mar 11, 2016)

I'm not sure (if and how) this can be done with Apache <directory> or .htaccess AllowOverride technique.

Scenario:  two directories, a parent and child.  The virtual host container for _website_ points to 
	
	



```
DocumentRoot  /parent/child
```
Within /parent/child is a default configuration file.  Also, child is symbolically linked to another physical directory address; content is common distribution instance (Joomla) for multiple virtual hosts.

parent directory contains a custom configuration file.  I want Apache to use or *override* to the custom configuration in the parent directory.

In IBM OS/400 world, this can be easily done with the override with database file command:  something like . . .
`OVRDBF   FILE(child/config)  TOFILE(parent/config)`

Can this be accomplished within the scope of Apache?


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