local.xml for magento custom package isnt loading

Question

Im having a problem with loading local.xml of my custom package and custom theme. Im trying to remove call outs like dog, poll etc...

My package name is "color" and my theme name is "red"

  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
  <layout>
    <default>

    <!-- Remove callouts -->
    <reference name="left">
        <remove name="left.permanent.callout"/>
        <remove name="right.newsletter"/>
        <remove name="cart_sidebar"/>
        <remove name="sale.reorder.sidebar"/>
    </reference>

   <reference name="right">
        <remove name="right.permanent.callout"/>
        <remove name="livechat.chat"/>
        <remove name="cart_sidebar"/>
        <remove name="sale.reorder.sidebar"/>
   </reference>

    </default>
</layout>

I tried to change "default" with both "color" (My Package Name) and "red" (My Theme Name), but none of them changed anything, call outs are still loaded.

My Cache is disabled already. Any suggestions please?

Regards, John

Edit: I double checked it now with default package and default theme and local.xml isn't loading there too, callouts are still there.

Im using magento 1.6 CE

Answer 1

The problem in this case was the settings in my magento backend. I thought to post the answer here as someone may have the similar problem as I had.

Appereantly, when you indicate your own custome theme in magento backend system > Configuration > Design - under the thread "theme" there are fields like: translations, templates, css, layout & default.

So appereantly field "default" is a Case sensitive and you have to indicate your default theme name exactly the same way it is named in your magento skin folder. I think it is weird but it solved the problem in my case. Hope it helps.

Regards, John

Answer 2

have you flushed and/or disabled caching (under System>Cache Management)? Any layout or design changes that you make will only appear once the cache is fresh.