Problems with Python 2.2.2 install on Linux

[Sheila King]

OK, I decided to try and install Python from source on Linux again. (This
would be the third or fourth time in two years.)

Each time it is a struggle for me, because something is just a teensy bit
different in the install process, and I just don't usually do this type of
stuff. Last time I installed Python was 2.0.

OK, so I'm installing 2.2.2 and I get a LOT of errors when I do 
make test

In fact, these were the results:

168 tests OK.
4 tests failed:
    test_largefile test_socket test_sundry test_urllib2
21 tests skipped:
    test___all__ test_al test_asynchat test_bsddb test_cd test_cl
    test_curses test_dl test_email_codecs test_gl test_imgfile
    test_linuxaudiodev test_minidom test_nis test_pyexpat test_sax
    test_socket_ssl test_socketserver test_sunaudiodev test_winreg
    test_winsound
7 skips unexpected on linux2:
    test_pyexpat test_minidom test_linuxaudiodev test_asynchat
    test_bsddb test_sax test___all__
make: *** [test] Error 1


Anyhow, I'm not especially surprised, as I had errors and difficulties with
the socket module last time I installed, and I had to manually edit the
Setup file.

OK, so this time I have to manually edit the /Modules/Setup file.

And here is my current question:

With regards to these lines in the /Modules/Setup file:

# Uncommenting the following line tells makesetup that all following
# modules are to be built as shared libraries (see above for more
# detail; also note that *static* reverses this effect):

#*shared*

What is the benefit of installing so that Python is built with shared
libraries? Are there any disadvantages to building with shared libraries?

I am installing this on a Virtual host account on a shared/community web
hosting server. 

I may have additional questions later, but I have searched for an answer to
what the benefit/disadvantage of shared libraries is, and I cannot find it.

Thanks,

-- 
Sheila King
http://www.thinkspot.net/sheila/
http://www.k12groups.org/