Well, I tried to compile PHP 4.3.0 RC3 and RC4 and also 4.3.0 final, but I couldn't. I tried to compile with the folowing console commands:./configure --with-apxs2=/usr/local/apache2/bin/apxs --with-zlib=shared,/usr/local --with-gd=shared,/usr/local --with-gd-native-ttf  --with-jpeg-dir=/usr/local  --enable-ftp=shared --with-png-dir=/usr/local --enable-sockets=shared --with-freetype-dir=/usr/local --with-mysql=shared,/usr/local --with-mysql-sock=/tmp/mysql.sock  --with-tsrm-pthreads --with-bz2=shared,/usr/local  --enable-versioning --enable-magic-quotes --enable-shared --enable-pic --disable-static --enable-inline-optimization --with-config-file-path=/etc --enable-debugger --enable-track-vars --with-mod_charset --with-regex=php --enable-cgi-force-redirect --enable-trans-sid --with-ctype=shared --enable-sysvsem --enable-mime-magic --with-gettext=shared --without-aspell --without-kerberos --with-cpdflib=shared,/usr/local --with-gmp=shared,/usr/local --enable-yp=shared

The error message was the following: 
ext/standard/image.lo: In function `php_handle_swc':
/a/php-4.3.0/ext/standard/image.c:195: undefined reference to `uncompress'
/a/php-4.3.0/ext/standard/image.c:217: undefined reference to `uncompress'
main/SAPI.lo: In function `sapi_header_op':
/a/php-4.3.0/main/SAPI.c:526: undefined reference to `zlib_globals'
main/SAPI.lo: In function `sapi_send_headers':
/a/php-4.3.0/main/SAPI.c:675: undefined reference to `zlib_globals'
collect2: ld returned 1 exit status
make: *** [sapi/cli/php] Error 1
 
Well, I thought that it was zlibs's fault (i tried with 1.1.3) and I recompiled everything with a new one (1.1.4), (including libpng, gd, etc..), but it still doesn't works.
Yes, I ran ldconfig several times...
But ever?thing works with PHP 4.2.3, also with zlib 1.1.3, and 1.1.4, so I have no idea, perhaps you have...