here is my setup:

export LIBS="-lm -lc -lintl -lX11" && \
export LDFLAGS="-Wl,-export-dynamic \
  -Wl,-R/usr/lib -L/usr/lib \
  -Wl,-R/usr/pkg/lib -L/usr/pkg/lib \
  -Wl,-R/usr/local/lib -L/usr/local/lib \
  -Wl,-R/usr/X11R6/lib -L/usr/X11R6/lib"

./configure \
--with-apxs \
--disable-pear \
--with-gd=/usr/pkg \
--with-png-dir=/usr/pkg \
--with-jpeg-dir=/usr/pkg \
--with-freetype-dir=/usr/pkg \
--with-xpm-dir=/usr/X11R6 \
--with-sablot=/usr/local \
--with-expat-dir=/usr/local \
--with-iconv=/usr/pkg \
--with-pgsql=/usr/local \
--with-mysql=/usr/local \
--enable-libgcc \
--with-gnu-ld \
--with-zlib \
--with-system-regex \
--with-config-file-path=/usr/local/etc \
--enable-track-vars \
--enable-force-cgi-redirect \
--enable-discard-path \
--enable-memory-limit \
--enable-sysvsem \
--enable-sysvshm \
--enable-sockets \
--with-ttf=/usr/pkg \
--enable-freetype-4bit-antialias-hack

'rm config.cache ; ./configure <with your options> ; make clean ; make'

And do not export those LIBS / LDFLAGS. The configure 
does it itself. 

'rm config.cache ; ./configure <with your options> ; make clean ; make'

like i stated in my original post, i did start from scratch several times. i've also tried it without the LDFLAGS and LIBS flags. your suggestion didn't help:

i've gone to the extent of removing configure and starting from ./buildconf. that didn't help either. the strange thing is, if i also remove the sablot, iconv, and expat options from ./configure <options> then it builds fine as a cgi. 

here is the exact error:

/bin/sh /home/staffs/t/tom/work/php/php4-current/php4/libtool --silent --mode=link gcc  -I. -I/ho
me/staffs/t/tom/work/php/php4-current/php4/main -I/home/staffs/t/tom/work/php/php4-current/php4/m
ain -I/home/staffs/t/tom/work/php/php4-current/php4 -I/home/staffs/t/tom/work/php/php4-current/ph
p4/Zend -I/usr/local/include/freetype2/freetype -I/usr/pkg/include -I/usr/local/include/mysql -I/
usr/local/include -I/home/staffs/t/tom/work/php/php4-current/php4/TSRM  -I/usr/pkg/include -g -O2
 -prefer-non-pic -static   -o libmain.la  main.lo internal_functions.lo snprintf.lo php_sprintf.l
o safe_mode.lo fopen_wrappers.lo alloca.lo php_ini.lo SAPI.lo rfc1867.lo php_content_types.lo str
lcpy.lo strlcat.lo mergesort.lo reentrancy.lo php_variables.lo php_ticks.lo streams.lo network.lo
 php_open_temporary_file.lo php_logos.lo
libtool: link: `main.lo' is not a valid libtool object
*** Error code 1

Stop.
---

i just did 

rm config.cache
./configure <options>
make clean
make

all that w/o the LDFLAGS, LIBS, and ENV variables are refreshed (no left-overs)

What version of PHP is this? Latest CVS? Or 4.0.6?

here is the exact error:

/bin/sh /home/staffs/t/tom/work/php/php4-current/php4/libtool --silent --mode=link gcc  -I. -I/ho
me/staffs/t/tom/work/php/php4-current/php4/main -I/home/staffs/t/tom/work/php/php4-current/php4/m
ain -I/home/staffs/t/tom/work/php/php4-current/php4 -I/home/staffs/t/tom/work/php/php4-current/ph
p4/Zend -I/usr/local/include/freetype2/freetype -I/usr/pkg/include -I/usr/local/include/mysql -I/
usr/local/include -I/home/staffs/t/tom/work/php/php4-current/php4/TSRM  -I/usr/pkg/include -g -O2
 -prefer-non-pic -static   -o libmain.la  main.lo internal_functions.lo snprintf.lo php_sprintf.l
o safe_mode.lo fopen_wrappers.lo alloca.lo php_ini.lo SAPI.lo rfc1867.lo php_content_types.lo str
lcpy.lo strlcat.lo mergesort.lo reentrancy.lo php_variables.lo php_ticks.lo streams.lo network.lo
 php_open_temporary_file.lo php_logos.lo
libtool: link: `main.lo' is not a valid libtool object
*** Error code 1

Stop.
---

i just did 

rm config.cache
./configure <options>
make clean
make

all that w/o the LDFLAGS, LIBS, and ENV variables are refreshed (no left-overs)

i was wrong about the options sablot, iconv, and expat options. having those options or not, doesn't matter, still the same error with 

libtool: link: `main.lo' is not a valid libtool object
*** Error code 1

Again, does this happen with the latest CVS or with PHP 4.0.6? 

--Jani

it happens with latest CVS 4.0.7-dev is what phpinfo tells me. i tested the exact same config on 4.0.5 release and i didn't see this problem. uppon searching the libtool mailing list, i do believe php is using a buggy version of libtool. here is a thread on a similar issue:

this post shows similar errors, though diff app:
http://gcc.gnu.org/ml/java/2001-01/msg00168.html

and here is the explaination from one of libtool's core in regard to that issue:

Hmm...  Looks like a bug in the multi-language branch.  Would you
please report to bug-libtool@gnu.org that creation of relinkable
libtool objects is broken is in the multi-language branch?  Thanks in
advance,

-- 
Alexandre Oliva   

This is not the only bug in libtool 1.4 I assume.
Anyway, this has to be fixed before next release.

Is this still happening?

this problem doesn't exisit in a snap i tested yesterday. you could close this now. btw that same snap had a big memory leak. i'll send a bug on that later.

close per user request.