How do I test the integrity of a Python installation in Debian and Ubuntu

[Geoff Gardiner]

How do I assure myself of the integrity of a Python installation
acquired using apt-get install on Debian and Ubuntu?

I can run regrtest but there's nothing in the basic installation to run,
viz.:

gegard at gegard:~$ python
Python 2.5.2 (r252:60911, Jul 31 2008, 17:28:52)
[GCC 4.2.3 (Ubuntu 4.2.3-2ubuntu7)] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> from test import regrtest
>>> regrtest.main()
test_grammar
test_grammar skipped -- No module named test_grammar
... <etc> more of the same...
9 tests skipped:
    test_builtin test_doctest test_doctest2 test_exceptions
    test_grammar test_opcodes test_operations test_types test_unittest
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
  File "/usr/lib/python2.5/test/regrtest.py", line 416, in main
    e = _ExpectedSkips()
  File "/usr/lib/python2.5/test/regrtest.py", line 1321, in __init__
    from test import test_socket_ssl
ImportError: cannot import name test_socket_ssl
>>>

I don't see where to go from here, so advice would be extremely helpful.

Background

I have a large Python-based system that I am trying to install on an
externally-hosted VM. It doesn't build and install correctly most of the
time, and I have tried successive images of Debian Lenny and Ubuntu
Hardy with mostly different build/installation results each time.

The installation proceeds Ok on a local Ubuntu VM.

A number of modules are installed in addition to python, but I can't
even see how to test the core python installation. There are few
test_*.py files in the installation.

I have previously encountered a fault on the server hosting the VM and
would like to be more comfortable that the python installation itself is
Ok (or have evidence that it's not).

Thank you,
Geoff