manually control header and page numbering

Question

I am writing a report, where if i use the command \pagestyle{plain} the page numbering comes to the bottom, thats good.

However i also want the heading of the chapter to come on the top left hand corner, hows that possible. If i remove the \pagestyle{plain}, then the heading comes on the top left corner but the page numbering as well comes on the top right, when i want it in the bottom!

\documentclass[letterpaper,11pt,oneside,final]{book}


%-----------------------------------------------------------------------------%
% Margins:
%-----------------------------------------------------------------------------%
\setlength{\marginparwidth}{0pt} % width of margin notes
\setlength{\marginparsep}{0pt} % width of space between body text and margin notes
\setlength{\evensidemargin}{0.125in} % Adds 1/8 in. to binding side of all 
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{0.125in} % Adds 1/8 in. to the left of all pages
\setlength{\textwidth}{6.375in} % assuming US letter paper (8.5 in. x 11 in.) and 
\raggedbottom
\setlength{\parskip}{\medskipamount}

\renewcommand{\baselinestretch}{1.1} % this is the default line space setting

\let\origdoublepage\cleardoublepage
\newcommand{\clearemptydoublepage}{%
  \clearpage{\pagestyle{empty}\origdoublepage}}
\let\cleardoublepage\clearemptydoublepage


\usepackage[pdftex,letterpaper=true,pagebackref=true]{hyperref} % with basic options
\usepackage{hypcap}


\usepackage{grffile}
\usepackage{libertine}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage{lmodern}
\usepackage{textcomp}
\usepackage{mathpazo}
\usepackage{stmaryrd}
\usepackage{rotating}
\usepackage{dsfont}


\hypersetup{pdfpagemode=UseNone}


%\fancyhf{}


\usepackage{fancyhdr}

\fancyhf{} % clear header and footer
\fancyhead[L]{\leftmark}
\fancyfoot[C]{\thepage}
\pagestyle{fancy}
\fancypagestyle{plain}{} % inherit the settings from fancy style


\begin{document}

snippet      

As any dedicated reader can clearly see, the Ideal of practical reason is a rep-
resentation of, as far as I know, the things in themselves; as I have shown else-
where, the phenomena should only be used as a canon for our understanding.
The paralogisms of practical reason are what rst give rise to the architectonic
of practical reason. As will easily be shown in the next section, reason would
thereby be made to contradict, in view of these considerations, the Ideal of prac-
tical reason, yet the manifold depends on the phenomena. Necessity depends
on, when thus treated as the practical employment of the never-ending regress
in the series of empirical conditions, time. Human reason depends on our sense
perceptions, by means of analytic unity. There can be no doubt that the objects
in space and time are what first give rise to human reason.

\section{Test 1}
As any dedicated reader can clearly see, the Ideal of practical reason is a rep-
resentation of, as far as I know, the things in themselves; as I have shown else-
where, the phenomena should only be used as a canon for our understanding.
The paralogisms of practical reason are what rst give rise to the architectonic
of practical reason. As will easily be shown in the next section, reason would
thereby be made to contradict, in view of these considerations, the Ideal of prac-
tical reason, yet the manifold depends on the phenomena. Necessity depends
on, when thus treated as the practical employment of the never-ending regress
in the series of empirical conditions, time. Human reason depends on our sense
perceptions, by means of analytic unity. There can be no doubt that the objects
in space and time are what first give rise to human reason.
\pagestyle{empty}

\bibliographystyle{alpha}


\nocite{*}
\hfill \today


\end{document}

Answer 1

This is another way of making plain page style equal to fancy page style

You have to use \chapter so that \leftmark is defined. Also, you have used \pagestyle{empty}. Put a \clearpage (\cleardoublepage if using twoside option) before.

\documentclass[letterpaper,11pt,oneside,final]{book}


%-----------------------------------------------------------------------------%
% Margins:
%-----------------------------------------------------------------------------%
\setlength{\marginparwidth}{0pt} % width of margin notes
\setlength{\marginparsep}{0pt} % width of space between body text and margin notes
\setlength{\evensidemargin}{0.125in} % Adds 1/8 in. to binding side of all
\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{0.125in} % Adds 1/8 in. to the left of all pages
\setlength{\textwidth}{6.375in} % assuming US letter paper (8.5 in. x 11 in.) and
\raggedbottom
\setlength{\parskip}{\medskipamount}

\renewcommand{\baselinestretch}{1.1} % this is the default line space setting

%\let\origdoublepage\cleardoublepage
%\newcommand{\clearemptydoublepage}{%
%  \clearpage{\pagestyle{empty}\origdoublepage}}
%\let\cleardoublepage\clearemptydoublepage


\usepackage[pdftex,letterpaper=true,pagebackref=true]{hyperref} % with basic options
\usepackage{hypcap}


\usepackage{grffile}
\usepackage{libertine}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage{lmodern}
\usepackage{textcomp}
\usepackage{mathpazo}
\usepackage{stmaryrd}
\usepackage{rotating}
\usepackage{dsfont}


%\hypersetup{pdfpagemode=UseNone}


\usepackage{fancyhdr}

\fancyhf{} % clear header and footer
\fancyhead[L]{\leftmark}
\fancyfoot[C]{\thepage}



\makeatletter
\let\ps@plain\ps@fancy % plain style = fancy style
\makeatother

\pagestyle{fancy}

\begin{document}

\chapter{One}

As any dedicated reader can clearly see, the Ideal of practical reason is a rep-
resentation of, as far as I know, the things in themselves; as I have shown else-
where, the phenomena should only be used as a canon for our understanding.
The paralogisms of practical reason are what rst give rise to the architectonic
of practical reason. As will easily be shown in the next section, reason would
thereby be made to contradict, in view of these considerations, the Ideal of prac-
tical reason, yet the manifold depends on the phenomena. Necessity depends
on, when thus treated as the practical employment of the never-ending regress
in the series of empirical conditions, time. Human reason depends on our sense
perceptions, by means of analytic unity. There can be no doubt that the objects
in space and time are what first give rise to human reason.


\section{Test 1}
As any dedicated reader can clearly see, the Ideal of practical reason is a rep-
resentation of, as far as I know, the things in themselves; as I have shown else-
where, the phenomena should only be used as a canon for our understanding.
The paralogisms of practical reason are what rst give rise to the architectonic
of practical reason. As will easily be shown in the next section, reason would
thereby be made to contradict, in view of these considerations, the Ideal of prac-
tical reason, yet the manifold depends on the phenomena. Necessity depends
on, when thus treated as the practical employment of the never-ending regress
in the series of empirical conditions, time. Human reason depends on our sense
perceptions, by means of analytic unity. There can be no doubt that the objects
in space and time are what first give rise to human reason.

As any dedicated reader can clearly see, the Ideal of practical reason is a rep-
resentation of, as far as I know, the things in themselves; as I have shown else-
where, the phenomena should only be used as a canon for our understanding.
The paralogisms of practical reason are what rst give rise to the architectonic
of practical reason. As will easily be shown in the next section, reason would
thereby be made to contradict, in view of these considerations, the Ideal of prac-
tical reason, yet the manifold depends on the phenomena. Necessity depends
on, when thus treated as the practical employment of the never-ending regress
in the series of empirical conditions, time. Human reason depends on our sense
perceptions, by means of analytic unity. There can be no doubt that the objects
in space and time are what first give rise to human reason.

\clearpage
\pagestyle{empty}

\bibliographystyle{alpha}


\nocite{*}
\hfill \today


\end{document}

Slightly un-related, you may consider using geometry package for changing the page layout.

Answer 2

If I understand correctly, you want the same behavior for all pages, including first pages of chapters.

And you want the chapter heading on the left of the header, and the page number on the center of the footer.

The following code does exactly that:

\documentclass{report}
\usepackage{fancyhdr}

\fancyhf{} % clear header and footer
\fancyhead[L]{\leftmark}
\fancyfoot[C]{\thepage}

\pagestyle{fancy}

\fancypagestyle{plain}{} % inherit the settings from fancy style

\usepackage{kantlipsum} % only for the example

\begin{document}
\chapter{Test}
\kant[1]
\section{Test}
\kant[2-7]
\end{document} 

Answer 3

Have you tried using the fancyhdr package? I've just implemented it to do something similar. The syntax is pretty straightforward and you can basically customise your page layout to get what you want.

The following few lines might get you close?

\documentclass[12pt, a4paper, oneside, fleqn]{report}

\headheight 28pt
\headsep 24pt

\usepackage{lmodern}       % gives bold italic font
\usepackage{lipsum}
%Sectioning and headings
%------------------------
\usepackage{fancyhdr}

 \begin{document}

\pagestyle{fancy}
\lhead{\leftmark}
\chead{}
\rhead{}
\lfoot{}
\cfoot{\thepage}
\rfoot{}

\chapter{A chapter}
\lipsum


\end{document}