fancyhdr and the MastersDoctoralThesis template

Question

I have a Miktex 2.9 installation on my computer, I am writing my PhD thesis and I am struggling with the fancyhdr package. Up to now, whenever I need a new package, the software just ask me whether I want to download and install it, I agree with him and I keep going with my thesis.

Problems come with the fancyhdr package. If I add the line of code

\usepackage{fancyhdr} 

on my thesis preamble than what I get is

! Class MastersDoctoralThesis Error: Package `fancyhdr' is incompatible
(MastersDoctoralThesis)              with this class.

See the MastersDoctoralThesis class documentation for explanation.
Type  H <return>  for immediate help.
 ...                                              

l.58 \usepackage{fancyhdr}

? 

I had a look around, other people struggle with this packages and I also tried to provide a kind of manual download from the Miktex Package Manager, which also "believe" the fancyhdr is already installed. But I can't use it at all.

Would you be able to help me sorting out this problem, please?

Answer 1

From what I can tell this is hardcoded in the MastersDoctoralThesis.cls

\ifbool{headsepline}{\KOMAoption{headsepline}{true}}{}
\PreventPackageFromLoading[\ClassError{\classname}{Package `fancyhdr' is
incompatible\MessageBreak with this class}{The pagesyles are defined 
using package `scrlayer-scrpage', please consult the\MessageBreak 
KOMA-script documentation for details.}]{fancyhdr}

So why not go ahead and checkout the suggested package scrlayer-scrpage. Maybe it has the options you need? Checkout chapter 5, especially pg. 236.

E.g. this puts your page pagenumber in the bottom center:

\clearpairofpagestyles
\cfoot*{- \pagemark{} -}