YAML Parsing Errors Using CPAN on Windows

roho has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

I am consistently getting YAML parsing errors trying to install modules on Windows using cpan (see output below). I have tried deleting the 'cpan' directory under 'C:\Perl' and rerunning the cpan install, but I get the same errors. Any ideas on how I might correct this?

I am running Activestate Perl 5.8.9. I first tried using 'ppm' but 'HTML::TreeBuilder' was not in Activestate's archive, hence the attempt to use 'cpan'.

TIA, Roy

C:\>cpan

cpan shell -- CPAN exploration and modules installation (v1.9402)
Enter 'h' for help.


cpan> install HTTP::TreeBuilder
Fetching with LWP:
  http://ppm.activestate.com/CPAN/authors/01mailrc.txt.gz
Going to read 'C:\Perl\cpan\sources\authors\01mailrc.txt.gz'
......................................................................
+......DONE
Fetching with LWP:
  http://ppm.activestate.com/CPAN/modules/02packages.details.txt.gz
Alert: While trying to 'parse' YAML file
 'C:\Perl\cpan\FTPstats.yml'
with 'YAML::XS' the following error was encountered:
  Usage: YAML::XS::LibYAML::Load(yaml_sv) at C:\Perl\lib/YAML/XS.pm li
+ne 70.

Going to read 'C:\Perl\cpan\sources\authors\01mailrc.txt.gz'
......................................................................
+......DONE
Going to read 'C:\Perl\cpan\sources\modules\02packages.details.txt.gz'
  Database was generated on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:45:58 GMT
......................................................................
+......DONE
Fetching with LWP:
  http://ppm.activestate.com/CPAN/modules/03modlist.data.gz
Alert: While trying to 'parse' YAML file
 'C:\Perl\cpan\FTPstats.yml'
with 'YAML::XS' the following error was encountered:
  Usage: YAML::XS::LibYAML::Load(yaml_sv) at C:\Perl\lib/YAML/XS.pm li
+ne 70.

Lockfile removed.
[download]

C:\>

"Its not how hard you work, its how much you get done."

Comment on YAML Parsing Errors Using CPAN on Windows Download Code

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: YAML Parsing Errors Using CPAN on Windows by Anonymous Monk on Feb 05, 2010 at 19:57 UTC
I had the same problem. The solution was to make CPAN stop loading YAML, but I don't remember exactly how. Here's what o conf shows me for yaml vars: `yaml_load_code [undef] yaml_module []` [download] I don't know how to undef a value from within CPAN, and perldoc isn't helpful for the shell, but I assume somebody here knows. As a last resort you could edit CPAN.pm. And don't forget to `o conf commit` to write any changes to disk from within the CPAN shell.	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^2: YAML Parsing Errors Using CPAN on Windows by Anonymous Monk on Jul 03, 2010 at 12:34 UTC
from within cpan shell, enter: o conf yaml_module "" o conf commit	[reply]
Re^3: YAML Parsing Errors Using CPAN on Windows by iritemezycod_n_likit (Initiate) on Nov 20, 2012 at 21:08 UTC
- this appears to be mostly a permissions error (and YAML module error) under windows. <thus the unix'ie perl guys don't see this error.> The cpan error response is mostly unhelpful...but if you just rename the file, then cpan appears to fix itself. I was able to load/reload Yaml. This looks like a cpan/perl installation induced bug. If this file needs to be rename it should be installed in a location that has sufficient permissions...nuff said. - don't know what is up with the HTML::EP suggestion. That seems a bit pointless to install that module without a need... - oh, also, disabling yaml via o conf will not correct the problem until the FTPStats.yml file is renamed...	[reply]