I use php 4.0.6 rpm packed in Mandrake 8.1 CDROM. I test both with mod_php and php (shell interpreter). my curl is :
   curl 7.8.1 (i586-mandrake-linux-gnu) libcurl 7.8.1 (OpenSSL 0.9.6a)

<?
  $myFile = tempnam("/tmp","curl");
  $myFp = fopen($myFile,"w");
  $myHeader = tempnam("/tmp","curl");
  $myHp = fopen($myHeader,"w");
  $ch = curl_init("http://www.natimages.com/images/scenic.jpg");

  curl_setopt($ch,CURLOPT_FILE,$myFp);
  curl_setopt($ch,CURLOPT_WRITEHEADER,$myHp);

  curl_exec($ch);
  curl_close($ch);

  fclose($myFp);
  fclose($myHp);
?>

INSTALLATION NOTES:
when installed, php package in Mandrake 8.1 rpm does not support curl, so I must install php_devel rpm and build the curl extension

when build curl extension, I need libcurl rpm provided by Mandrake 8.1, and curl-devel rpm that's NOT provided by Mandrake 8.1. So, I must install curl-devel rpm built for Redhat 7.2, with option --nodeps to force it work in Mandrake environtment..

I do NOT found that another curl option buggy like this CURLOPT_WRITEHEADER

I'm not familiar with gdb, so I can not submit gdb backtrace

Thank

Tri