Magento 1.x requires a set of default packages to be installed. Recently I needed to untangle a very large Magento install from 5+ years of stale package installs, and move to modman.
Cm_RedisSession-1.9.3.8.xml Interface_Adminhtml_Default-1.9.3.8.xml Interface_Frontend_Base_Default-1.9.3.8.xml Interface_Frontend_Default-1.9.3.8.xml Interface_Frontend_Rwd_Default-1.9.3.8.xml Interface_Install_Default-1.9.3.8.xml Lib_Cm-1.9.3.8.xml Lib_Credis-1.9.3.8.xml Lib_Google_Checkout-1.9.3.8.xml Lib_IDNA2-1.9.3.8.xml Lib_Js_Calendar-1.51.1.14.xml Lib_Js_Ext-1.9.3.8.xml Lib_Js_Mage-1.9.3.8.xml Lib_Js_Prototype-1.9.3.8.xml Lib_Js_TinyMCE-3.5.11.13.xml Lib_LinLibertineFont-2.8.14.14.xml Lib_Mage-1.9.3.8.xml Lib_Magento-1.9.3.8.xml Lib_Pelago-1.9.3.8.xml Lib_Phpseclib-1.9.3.8.xml Lib_Unserialize-1.9.3.8.xml Lib_Varien-1.9.3.8.xml Lib_ZF-1.12.10.13.xml Lib_ZF_Locale-1.12.10.13.xml Mage_All_Latest-1.9.3.8.xml Mage_Centinel-1.9.3.8.xml Mage_Compiler-1.9.3.8.xml Mage_Core_Adminhtml-1.9.3.8.xml Mage_Core_Modules-1.9.3.8.xml Mage_Downloader-1.9.3.8.xml Mage_Locale_en_US-1.9.3.8.xml Magento_Mobile-1.9.3.8.xml Phoenix_Moneybookers-1.9.3.8.xml
All versions are correct at time of writing.