I've tried to build several applications from source and all except for one haven't compiled. I think I figured out why. All the applications that I have trying to compile have required either gnome or kde libraries. For instance I tried to install a program called apollon and it told that ... checking for Qt... configure: error: Qt (>= Qt 3.1 (20021021)) (headers and libraries) not found. Please check your installation!
For more details about this problem, look at the end of config.log.
....
Now for the real question. Why would the libraries be in a different than specified location and where might they be? Thanks in advance!

Okay I found the qt libs at /usr/lib/qt-3.1, but how do I tell the configure file to look there for the libs? tia.

You may not have them installed, the configure script is usually smart enough to find it on its own.

But to find out all the options of a configure script (including your question), do:

As you're using RedHat, have you looked for rpm releases instead? At sites like rpmfind.net?

Try ./configure --help

Edit: Too tired, too slow

Okay. Well I tried that can found:
--with-qt-dir
--with-qt-includes
--with-qt-libraries
I'm not quite sure what the includes are but I set dir to ./configure --with-qt-dir=/usr/lib/qt/ that failed so I tried ./configure --with-qt-libraries=/usr/lib/qt/lib. But to no avail. Let me tell you. You can be an advocate of installing from source all you like but for a newb like me sucks! But thanks guys , and I tried looking for an rpm but still no.

You're problem is that Redhat uses a "special" (crappy) version of KDE. This has caused incompatability w/ a lot of programs. Sorry.

Heres a project thats got a fixed version of KDE for Redhat:

http://kde-redhat.sourceforge.net/

ah ha! thanks contrasutra! Does redhat also use a special version of gnome?