rpm - can I keep the old version?

[Bill Johnson <wejohnson usa net>]

I'll give some background... scroll down for my actual question. Thanks!

On a RH 7.1 system...
I'm trying to install latest version of KOffice, and getting dependency
problems (imagine that).

Specifically:
# rpm -Uvh koffice-1.1-2.i386.rpm
error: failed dependencies:
        libcrypto.so.2   is needed by koffice-1.1-2
        libfam.so.0   is needed by koffice-1.1-2
        libkdeprint.so.0   is needed by koffice-1.1-2
        libssl.so.2   is needed by koffice-1.1-2

So, I thought I'd fix that, so downloaded newer version of openssl and
tried:
# rpm -Uvh openssl-0.9.6b-6.i386.rpm
        libcrypto.so.1   is needed by bind-utils-9.1.0-10
        libcrypto.so.1   is needed by slrn-0.9.6.4-2
        libcrypto.so.1   is needed by cyrus-sasl-1.5.24-17
        libcrypto.so.1   is needed by openldap-2.0.7-14
        libcrypto.so.1   is needed by pine-4.33-8
        libcrypto.so.1   is needed by sendmail-8.11.2-14
        libcrypto.so.1   is needed by fetchmail-5.7.4-4
        libcrypto.so.1   is needed by lynx-2.8.4-9
        libcrypto.so.1   is needed by python-1.5.2-30
        libcrypto.so.1   is needed by pidentd-3.0.12-4
        libcrypto.so.1   is needed by ucd-snmp-4.2-12
        libcrypto.so.1   is needed by ucd-snmp-utils-4.2-12
        libcrypto.so.1   is needed by kdebase-2.1.1-8
        libcrypto.so.1   is needed by kdelibs-2.1.2-1
        libssl.so.1   is needed by slrn-0.9.6.4-2
        libssl.so.1   is needed by openldap-2.0.7-14
        libssl.so.1   is needed by pine-4.33-8
        libssl.so.1   is needed by sendmail-8.11.2-14
        libssl.so.1   is needed by fetchmail-5.7.4-4
        libssl.so.1   is needed by lynx-2.8.4-9
        libssl.so.1   is needed by python-1.5.2-30
        libssl.so.1   is needed by kdebase-2.1.1-8
        libssl.so.1   is needed by kdelibs-2.1.2-1

Obviously, I still need the older version of these libs out there for the
above software packages.

So, I got brave (or stupid) and tried to keep both versions of the libs
out there by:
# rpm -i openssl-0.9.6b-6.i386.rpm
file /usr/bin/openssl from install of openssl-0.9.6b-6 conflicts with
file from package openssl-0.9.6-3
file /usr/share/ssl/openssl.cnf from install of openssl-0.9.6b-6 conflicts
with file from package openssl-0.9.6-3


MY QUESTION - Since I use so many of the above apps which rely on the old
version of the libs, can I do what I tried in the above step (i.e. install
rather than upgrade), and use the --force?  Is this wise?  If this is not
the solution, what is?

Thanks in advance for the help.

Bill

-- 
William E. Johnson
_____________________________

"The trouble with people is not that they don't know but
that they know so much that ain't so."
                             -- Josh Billings, 1818-1885.
"The greatest proof of Christianity for others is not how
far a man can logically analyze his reasons for believing, but
how far in practice he will stake his life on his belief."
                             -- T. S. Eliot (1888-1965)