rpm install of Apache and PHP3 -- must I make PHP?

Dear Helpful PHP Users, After trying repeatedly to get apache 1.3.12 to parse PHP4 or PHP3 as actual made and configured programs, I went back to just attempt to use rpms for Apache and PHP on my RedHat 6.2 OS. I figured this would limit my chances of screwing up the configuration. However, as I read the INSTALL.REDHAT file that comes with PHP 3.0.15, it recommends that I need to make and compile the PHP rpm if I want to use databases. What's more, currently Apache is still not parsing my PHP files anyway, so database or not, I still need to do something more. I followed the instructions in that file and installed the freestyle-devel rpm that was missing, and I'm running RedHat 6.2, so the problems that came with 6.1 shouldn't be an issue. My question -- must I compile a PHP3 rpm before it will work? I'm pretty sure I have the Apache modules loaded and added correctly in the correct httpd.conf file, so I think the fact that Apache is still not parsing PHP3 to be a problem with php, not apache at this point. Additional problem -- paths to my apxs file. I asked the OS to locate 'apxs' and it couldn't, and I tried to find it using the path given by the INSTALL file that came with PHP, but it isn't there. Don't I need to find the correct path to apxs in order to configure PHP? And what is apxs, anyway? I'm wanting to use PHP with MySQL, which I have not installed or made on the laptop yet. I suppose I need to install it before I configure PHP for it, right? And should I use a rpm of MySQL? I'm just trying to limit my chances of fucking things up right now. I've gone through two re-installs of my OS and numerous makes and compiles and I just want to take the simplest approach right now just to try and get it to work. I've been trying to get apache to parse any version of PHP for what seems like just too darn long -- I'm ready for it to work one of these days. Thanks for the help in advance, Claire Morris