HMCL-dev/HMCL · error · IOException

Cannot parse the version of

Error message

Cannot parse the version of 

What it means

Thrown while exporting a Modrinth modpack when HMCL cannot determine the instance's game version (instance.getVersion() returns GameVersionNumber.unknown()). A Modrinth manifest requires an explicit Minecraft version in dependencies.

Solutions

1. Set the instance's game version correctly in HMCL instance settings so getVersion() resolves
2. Verify versions/<version>/version.json exists and is valid inside the instance directory
3. Re-download/reinstall the instance's game files before exporting

Example fix

// before
// exporting an instance with unresolvable version
GameVersionNumber version = instance.getVersion(); // unknown()
// after
// fix instance settings (game version = 1.20.1) then export
GameVersionNumber version = instance.getVersion(); // resolves to 1.20.1

if (instance.getVersion() == GameVersionNumber.unknown()) throw new IOException("Cannot parse the version of " + instanceId);

boolean versionKnown(DefaultGameRepository repo, String id) { return repo.getGameVersion(id).isPresent(); }

try { exportTask.execute(); } catch (IOException e) { /* ask user to fix instance version settings */ }

When it happens

Trigger: Calling ModrinthModpackExportTask.execute() on an instance whose version cannot be inferred, e.g. no version.json/game jar metadata or an isolated/unknown instance.

Common situations: Exporting a broken or manually assembled instance; instances missing their version metadata; very old or modified game directories.

Understand the failure class

Background: "is required", "must be set", "missing required field": configuration validation errors across open-source libraries — this error's family across 36 libraries.

Related errors

• Cannot parse the version of
• Theme-pack asset source is not a regular file:
• Asset index file malformed
• Bad exit code
• Cannot export a background directory as a theme-pack asset

AI-assisted analysis of HMCL-dev/HMCL@24702dc5a0 (2026-09-10). Data as JSON: /api/errors/6b8a479420e77c29. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at HMCLCore/src/main/java/org/jackhuang/hmcl/modpack/modrinth/ModrinthModpackExportTask.java:199

                                    }
                                } catch (IOException e) {
                                    LOG.warning("Failed to process file: " + file, e);
                                }
                            });
                }
            }

            zip.putDirectory(runDirectory, "client-overrides", path -> {
                String relativePath = path.replace(File.separatorChar, '/');
                if (filesInManifest.contains(relativePath)) {
                    return false;
                }
                return Modpack.acceptFile(path, blackList, info.getWhitelist());
            });

            GameVersionNumber version = instance.getVersion();
            if (version == GameVersionNumber.unknown()) {
                throw new IOException("Cannot parse the version of " + instanceId);
            }
            String gameVersion = version.toString();
            GameComponentAnalyzer analyzer = instance.getAnalyzer();

            Map<String, String> dependencies = new HashMap<>();
            dependencies.put("minecraft", gameVersion);

            Optional.ofNullable(analyzer.getVersion(GameComponentType.FORGE)).ifPresent(forgeVersion ->
                    dependencies.put("forge", forgeVersion));
            Optional.ofNullable(analyzer.getVersion(GameComponentType.NEO_FORGE)).ifPresent(neoForgeVersion ->
                    dependencies.put("neoforge", neoForgeVersion));
            Optional.ofNullable(analyzer.getVersion(GameComponentType.FABRIC)).ifPresent(fabricVersion ->
                    dependencies.put("fabric-loader", fabricVersion));
            Optional.ofNullable(analyzer.getVersion(GameComponentType.QUILT)).ifPresent(quiltVersion ->
                    dependencies.put("quilt-loader", quiltVersion));

            ModrinthManifest manifest = new ModrinthManifest(
                    "minecraft",

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