if I do yum update I get a huge list scrolling in the terminal window but it eventually stops and says:

1:perl-Module-Pluggable-3.60-20.fc9.i386 from installed has depsolving problems
--> Missing Dependency: perl = 4:5.10.0-20.fc9 is needed by package 1:perl-Module-Pluggable-3.60-20.fc9.i386 (installed)
gnome-python2-bonobo-2.22.0-2.fc9.i386 from installed has depsolving problems
--> Missing Dependency: gnome-python2 = 2.22.0-2.fc9 is needed by package gnome-python2-bonobo-2.22.0-2.fc9.i386 (installed)
4:perl-libs-5.10.0-20.fc9.i386 from installed has depsolving problems
--> Missing Dependency: perl = 4:5.10.0-20.fc9 is needed by package 4:perl-libs-5.10.0-20.fc9.i386 (installed)
Error: Missing Dependency: perl = 4:5.10.0-20.fc9 is needed by package 4:perl-libs-5.10.0-20.fc9.i386 (installed)
Error: Missing Dependency: gnome-python2 = 2.22.0-2.fc9 is needed by package gnome-python2-bonobo-2.22.0-2.fc9.i386 (installed)
Error: Missing Dependency: perl = 4:5.10.0-20.fc9 is needed by package 1:perl-Module-Pluggable-3.60-20.fc9.i386 (installed)

my update process is jammed at this and won't proceed.
Is there a way to fix this?

Re-do the update but without the problematic packages. It sounds like the typical fedora dependency quirk (in fact, it is fairly typical of all rpm systems I have used). Those things usually get sorted out but it may take a few days for the repository maintainers to take care of it.

ok thanks for your advice but how does one exclude the problematic packages? ie: what is the correct command syntax?

PLEASE: Someone who understands how I fixed this should rewrite the important parts so no-one else has to read my novel.

I've had the same problem, new install and things are missing some perl "4:5.10.0-20.fc9" file and it said some gibberish about dependencies. I had originally intended to post my error message and give a progress report, but... it just fixed itself. Here's how:

I used the automatic system updater and it told me I had several perl related dependency issues. I went through the (long) list a handful at a time applying updates until I found the 9 that wouldn't work. A few perl, a few seemingly unrelated, but I'm assuming they used perl scripts?

Then I tried each of them a few more times thinking maybe I had updated something else they needed.

Then I tried to add the "perl programming language" through "add/remove software" thinking it might find dependency issues and resolve them. It did say there were issues and tried to add other packages, but it failed missing the same "4:5.10.0-20.fc9" thing.

Then I closed all the update and add software stuff out, came here looking for help, reopened the add software and and hit update so I could copy the error message, but it updated fine.

The end. Someone who better understands what I did please rewrite the important stuff out of here so people don't need to read my novel.