./configure --with-mysql=/usr/local --with-apache=../../apache/apache_1.3.12 --with-zlib=/usr/local/lib --with-ldap=/usr/local/ldap --enable-track-vars --enable-magic-quotes --enable-bcmath

...
checking whether to include zlib support... yes
checking for gzgets in -lz... no
configure: error: Zlib module requires zlib >= 1.0.9.

Of course zlib 1.1.3 is properly installed.

from config.log:

...
configure:43634: checking whether to include zlib support
configure:43835: checking for gzgets in -lz
configure:43854: gcc -o conftest -g -O2  -D_POSIX_PTHREAD_SEMANTICS -DXML_BYTE_O
RDER=21 -L/usr/local/lib  -R/usr/ucblib -L/usr/ucblib -R/usr/local/lib/gcc-lib/s
parc-sun-solaris2.6/2.95.2 -L/usr/local/lib/gcc-lib/sparc-sun-solaris2.6/2.95.2
-R/usr/local/ldap/lib -L/usr/local/ldap/lib -R/usr/local/lib/mysql -L/usr/local/
lib/mysql conftest.c -lz -lmysqlclient -lldap -llber -lresolv -lresolv -lm -ldl
-lcrypt -lnsl -lsocket  -lsocket -lgcc 1>&5
Undefined                       first referenced
 symbol                             in file
uncompress                          /usr/local/lib/mysql/libmysqlclient.so
compress                            /usr/local/lib/mysql/libmysqlclient.so
ld: fatal: Symbol referencing errors. No output written to conftest
collect2: ld returned 1 exit status
configure: failed program was:
#line 43843 "configure"
#include "confdefs.h"
/* Override any gcc2 internal prototype to avoid an error.  */
/* We use char because int might match the return type of a gcc2
    builtin and then its argument prototype would still apply.  */
char gzgets();

int main() {
gzgets()
; return 0; }


from configure:

...
LIBS="-lz $LIBS"
cat > conftest.$ac_ext <<EOF
#line 43843 "configure"

Obviously the source of the problem is library order during link phase. I was able to workaround the problem changing LIBS line above to:

LIBS="-$LIBS -lz"

However it is probably not the proper solution, please find better one.

Maciek