Compiling XSLT extensions

Okay, I will tell you straight off the bat that I'm a linux newbie. Also, this is my first time ever dealing with extensive server/php installation. Basically I've been messing with a box with Linux Redhat 7.1 on it, and I need to compile it with Apache 2 with PHP as a DSO. PHP needs to have the XSLT extension installed. I know that XSLT needs the Sablotron library and Sablotron needs the Expat library, but I don't know how to install both of those. I can't use the RPM's because they say that they're already installed and/or they come across errors, so I'm compiling them too. I think I have compiled them both, but PHP is kicking back a "error: no backend specified for XSLT" or something similar to that. Is there anyway that I can specify the dir for it when configuring PHP? If anyone could post a rundown of the installation process, then I would greatly appreciate it. If not, just kick back an article or tell me that I'm stupid... anything would be helpfull at this point; I'm just completly studdered now. Thanks, Shane "Cheetos" P.