The following question might increase your frustration, but have to ask ... what does this mean:
'When I open httptd or htaccess in putty, I get an empty file'?
httpd is normally what the apache server daemon is called and is something one doesn't edit.
htaccess files in apache usually have a 'dot' in front of them ... ie, .htaccess. So opening a file in putty with an editor ... something like: nano htaccess (notice no "." in front of htaccess) is starting a new file called htaccess and would be blank. Have you tried using the editor and attempting to open .htaccess (dot in front of htaccess)?
Does Rackspace have an FAQ or something that describes this common tweak?
Found this:
Maybe that will help.
Checking the settings in Moodle: Site Admin menu (on front page), Server, PHP Info link will show you a bunch of information concerning the setup of the server ... including paths and settings. Long list so focus on task at hand ... uploading files.
'spirit of sharing', Ken