distrib_installer

Allows automatically download (downloads are coming from Drupal update server), unpack and install predefined lists of Drupal projects.
The module checks what already installed and downloads only latest version projects that are missing in current setup. You also can add your own projects installation list (clean dev-server setup, etc.).

This is different from installation profiles in following ways:

• works on installed Drupal
• takes projects from drupal's update server (only recommended versions)
• enables only specified modules in each project
• provides low server-load modules installation (no heavy modules list scanning and refreshing, as on manual modules installation), what makes life easier on shared hosting with memory-lifetime limitations
• good (my opinion) for server migration (development - live), Drupal consultant/expert activity (own script / backup-migrate passed to developers).

In fact it atomatizes manual modules installation:

• installs only what in scripts
• downloads, unpacks on the server side
• smart module installation (not full rescan of all modules, but only one to be installed)