running:
install_packages.py -h server.com -m "initial install" postgresql-8.1.11-1.el5_1.1 postgresql-libs-8.1.11-1.el5_1.1 php-pgsql-5.1.6-23.2.el5_3 postgresql-server-8.1.11-1.el5_1.1 php-common-5.1.6-23.2.el5_3 apr-1.2.7-11 apr-util-1.2.7-7.el5 gmp-4.1.4-10.el5 httpd-2.2.3-22.el5 libxslt-1.1.17-2.el5_2.2 mimetex-1.60-EL.AS5.0.1.2au mod_auth_cas-1.0.6-1 perl-DBI-1.52-2.el5 perl-DBD-Pg-1.49-2.el5 php-5.1.6-23.2.el5_3 php-cli-5.1.6-23.2.el5_3 php-ldap-5.1.6-23.2.el5_3 php-pdo-5.1.6-23.2.el5_3 php-xml-5.1.6-23.2.el5_3 phpPgAdmin-4.0.1-1
there is no error reported and no action taken. silently swallowed exception it seems.