I run mysql 4.0 series rpms from mysql on my centos boxes. I've added them
to my local yum repository, and have yet had to recompile other rpms for
that reason. Install MySQL-shared-compat instead of MySQL-shared, as the
compat package contains all the new libraries, as well as previous versions,
for backward compatability.
The MySQL official rpms are not exactly the same as Centos or RedHats, so
you'll need to check out /etc/my.cnf, ensure log rotation, and that kind of
thing. I've also been told, but have no basis for comparison, that the
official MySQL rpms are some considerable faster.
All that being said, AFAIK, you'll have to recompile various RPMS if you
want 4.x functionality like ssl connections, provided that the package in
question supports the feature that you're after.
Hope this helps,
Jacob Leaver
C-Corp.net
