Support

> Do the htaccess maker support the new apache 2.4 syntax?

Yes

> Will it translate my custm rules, or at least warn me if the syntax is deprecated?

No! Custom rules are your responsibility. If you put something blatantly invalid such as "CAN I HAZ CHEEZBRGR?" we'll put it in the .htaccess file without checking. There's no way to syntax check an Apache configuration file unless you are the Apache server who's parsing it.

> How can I make a painless update to apache 2.4 on about 40 sites?

Yes. I think you worry too much.

> Should I change the syntax on all htaccess files before or after updating?

No. Apache 2.4 is backwards compatible with 2.2. The .htaccess will work just fine. When I updated my Ubuntu server several months ago, going from Apache 2.2 to 2.4, I didn't change the .htaccess in the dev and test sites and they still work very happily.

> Or is there a compatibility with 2.2 syntax so nothing will break, and I will be able to update every htaccess in peace?

Nothing to worry about. They ARE compatible. You can even use .htaccess files from Apache 1.3 on 2.4.

> Btw, I tried to update admin tools to 3.2.2 on J2.5, it broke, and promtly figured that I should delete it and roll back, all that while I was frightened that the client would see a broken site in an afternoon on a business day. (tired of late night updates). Guess I'm learning something after all...

Please read https://www.akeebabackup.com/home/news/1607-problems-with-admin-tools-3-2-x.html