N.B. software dependencies with Red Hat RPMs can be cascading. Therefore, if you're trying to remove foo and foo-devel and rpm says you that you need to remove goo and goo-devel, you'll have to remove goo and goo-devel. However, rpm may then indicate that boo and boo-devel requires goo and goo-devel. Unfortunately, rpm is more or less too stupid to indicate/manage cascading software dependencies. You have to deal with these case by case and hopefully correctly decide when you can blow by dependencies, or when you need to maintain integrity.
Managing software conflicts is a basic part of the *nix sysadmin's life. Revelant experience accumulated over time is really the only way to learn this stuff. Welcome to *nix and good luck.
