After hours of headbanging, I finally got php to go in with mysql installed
from a tarball - just as devshed said.

Apache was from the rpm on the 6.2 disk.

PHP was 4.1.1 downloaded from php.net.  The magic command was:

./configure --with-mysql --with-apxs  

Everything else I tried errored out at the config stage.

make make install will put php in.

In /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf you have to uncomment:

>LoadModule php4_module        modules/libphp4.so


!! This part below means squat!!

<IfModule mod_php3.c>
  AddType application/x-httpd-php3 .php3 .php4
  AddType application/x-httpd-php3-source .phps
</IfModule>

!!This is what you need in there to  get the job done!!

AddType application/x-httpd-php .php .php3
AddType application/x-httpd-php-source .phps< AddModule mod_php4.c

MySQL doesn't run by itself at bootup.  You have to start it with 

/usr/local/mysql/bin/safe_mysqld & 

You can probably put a symlink for it in /etc/rc.d/rc3.d to start it on
bootup.