==================================================
my config.nice is:

#! /bin/sh
#
# Created by configure

CFLAGS='-O6 -fomit-frame-pointer -pipe' \
CXXFLAGS='-O6 -pipe' \
LDFLAGS='-s' \
CC='gcc' \
CXX='gcc' \
'./configure' \
'--prefix=/opt/php-2001-07-05' \
'--with-apxs=/opt/apache/bin/apxs' \
'--with-config-file-path=/opt/php-2001-07-05' \
'--enable-safe-mode' \
'--enable-memory-limit' \
'--with-exec-dir=/opt/php-2001-07-05/php-bin' \
'--enable-track-vars' \
'--disable-debug' \
'--enable-magic-quotes' \
'--enable-bcmath' \
'--enable-dbase' \
'--enable-filepro' \
'--enable-ftp' \
'--with-zlib' \
'--with-jpeg-dir=/usr,/usr/local,/opt' \
'--with-png-dir=/usr,/usr/local,/opt' \
'--with-tiff-dir=/usr,/usr/local,/opt' \
'--enable-sysvsem' \
'--enable-sysvshm' \
'--with-xml' \
'--enable-wddx' \
'--with-gdbm' \
'--enable-dbx' \
'--with-imap=/opt/imap' \
'--with-imap-ssl=/opt/openssl' \
'--with-openssl=/opt/openssl' \
'--with-ssl=/opt/openssl' \
'--with-pdflib=/opt/pdflib' \
'--with-mcrypt=/opt/mcrypt' \
'--with-mhash=/opt/mhash' \
'--with-ttf=/opt/freetype' \
'--with-gd=/opt/gd' \
'--enable-dba' \
'--with-db3=/opt/db-3' \
'--with-oci8=/opt/oracle/product/8.1.5' \
"$@"

==================================================
my config.log ends with:

configure:23909: checking for SSL support in IMAP
configure:24030: gcc -o conftest -O6 -fomit-frame-pointer -pipe  -D_POSIX_PTHREAD_SEMANTICS -DSOL
ARIS2=270 -DMOD_SSL=208104 -DEAPI -DUSE_EXPAT -DSHARED_CORE -s -R/usr/ucblib -L/usr/ucblib -R/opt
/openssl/lib -L/opt/openssl/lib -R/usr/local/lib/gcc-lib/sparc-sun-solaris2.7/2.95.2 -L/usr/local
/lib/gcc-lib/sparc-sun-solaris2.7/2.95.2 -R/usr/local/lib -L/usr/local/lib -R/opt/db-3/lib -L/opt
/db-3/lib -R/opt/freetype/lib -L/opt/freetype/lib -R/opt/gd/lib -L/opt/gd/lib -R/opt/imap/c-clien
t -L/opt/imap/c-client conftest.c -lpam -lgd -lttf -lpng -lz -ljpeg -ldb -lgdbm -lz -lcrypt -lssl
 -lcrypto -lresolv -lresolv -lm -ldl -lnsl -lsocket  -lsocket -lgcc -lc-client -lcrypto -lssl 1>&
5
Undefined                       first referenced
 symbol                             in file
EVP_md2                             /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(ssl_algs.o)
EVP_md5                             /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(ssl_algs.o)
COMP_CTX_free                       /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(t1_enc.o)
EVP_des_ede3_cbc                    /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(ssl_algs.o)
EVP_enc_null                        /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(ssl_ciph.o)
EVP_des_cbc                         /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(ssl_algs.o)
EVP_rc2_cbc                         /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(ssl_algs.o)
HMAC_cleanup                        /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(t1_enc.o)
d2i_DHparams                        /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(ssl_cert.o)
EVP_rc4                             /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(ssl_algs.o)
PEM_read_bio_RSAPrivateKey          /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(ssl_rsa.o)
PEM_read_bio_X509                   /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(ssl_cert.o)
EVP_EncryptInit                     /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(s2_enc.o)
COMP_compress_block                 /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(s3_pkt.o)
BIO_f_buffer                        /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(ssl_lib.o)
COMP_expand_block                   /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(s3_pkt.o)
HMAC_Update                         /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(t1_enc.o)
PEM_read_bio_PrivateKey             /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(ssl_rsa.o)
EVP_DecryptInit                     /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(s2_enc.o)
X509_STORE_load_locations           /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(ssl_lib.o)
EVP_CipherInit                      /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(t1_enc.o)
EVP_dss1                            /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(ssl_algs.o)
X509_STORE_set_default_paths        /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(ssl_lib.o)
X509_certificate_type               /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(s3_srvr.o)
COMP_CTX_new                        /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(t1_enc.o)
EVP_idea_cbc                        /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(ssl_algs.o)
HMAC_Final                          /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(t1_enc.o)
i2d_DHparams                        /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(ssl_cert.o)
EVP_CIPHER_CTX_init                 /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(t1_enc.o)
DSA_verify                          /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(s3_srvr.o)
HMAC_Init                           /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(t1_enc.o)
EVP_CIPHER_CTX_cleanup              /opt/openssl/lib/libssl.a(ssl_lib.o)
ld: fatal: Symbol referencing errors. No output written to conftest
collect2: ld returned 1 exit status
configure: failed program was:
#line 24005 "configure"
#include "confdefs.h"

      void mm_log(void){}
      void mm_dlog(void){}
      void mm_flags(void){}
      void mm_fatal(void){}
      void mm_critical(void){}
      void mm_nocritical(void){}
      void mm_notify(void){}
      void mm_login(void){}
      void mm_diskerror(void){}
      void mm_status(void){}
      void mm_lsub(void){}
      void mm_list(void){}
      void mm_exists(void){}
      void mm_searched(void){}
      void mm_expunged(void){}
      char ssl_onceonlyinit();
      int main() {
        ssl_onceonlyinit();
        return 0;
      }

==================================================
I'm using:

imap-2001.BETA.SNAP-0107022325
openssl-0.9.6a
php-2001-07-05 (CVS) (same with php-4.0.6)
PS: I've also read bug reports:
http://www.php.net/bugs.php?id=11665
http://www.php.net/bugs.php?id=11772

but *every* combinations of options --with-imap-ssl,
--with-ssl, --with-openssl doesn't work for me.
It doesn't work with the CVS version either (at least 
up until 2001-07-05).

I've no problems with php-4.0.4pl1 on the same setup.

--ardu