cpm aborts on start with: "Failed to scan kernel release". about cpm HOT 2 CLOSED

int check_kernel_version()
{        
  struct utsname uts;
  if(uname(&uts) == -1){
    fprintf(stderr, "%s (%s, %d)\n",
            _("Failed to discover kernel version."),
            strerror(errno), errno);
  }else if(!strncmp(uts.sysname, "Linux", 5)){
    int maj,min,rel;
    if(sscanf(uts.release, "%d.%d.%d", &maj, &min, &rel) != 3) {                                                                            
      fprintf(stderr, "%s (%s, %d)\n",
              _("Failed to scan kernel release."),
              strerror(errno),errno);
    }else{
      //fprintf(stdout, "kernel rel: %d.%d\n", maj, min);
      if(maj > 2 ||
        (maj == 2 && min > 6) ||
        (maj == 2 && min == 6 && rel >= 9))
        return 1;
    }    
  }      
  return 0;
}

#include <stdio.h>                                                                                                                                
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <errno.h>
#include <sys/utsname.h>
#include <sys/prctl.h>
#include <sys/ptrace.h>
#include <sys/types.h>
#include <sys/wait.h>
#include <unistd.h>

int main()
{       
   int status;
   pid_t p, p0 = getpid();
   p = fork();
   if (p == -1) {
      fprintf(stderr, "Could not fork: %s\n", strerror(errno));
      _exit(1);
   }    

   if (p == 0) {
      if (prctl(PR_SET_DUMPABLE, 0, 0, 0, 0) != 0) {
         fprintf(stderr, "Can not set child non dumpable\n");
         _exit(1);
      } 
      if (ptrace(PT_ATTACH, p0, 0, 0) != 0) {
         // someone is already attached to us; shoot the parent in the head
         fprintf(stderr, "Can't attach to parent!\n");
         perror("foobar");
         kill(p0, SIGKILL);
         _exit(1);
      } 
      printf("Attached to %d\n", p0);
      while (1) {
         if(ptrace(PT_SYSCALL, p0, 0, 0) == 0)
            waitpid(p0, &status, 0);
         if(errno == ESRCH && kill(p0, 0) == -1)
            exit(0); // parent is dead

      } 
      _exit(0);
   }else { //twiddle thumbs
      fprintf(stderr, "forked %d from %d\n", p, p0);
      while(1){
         sleep(1); // ZzzZZzZZ
      } 
   }    

}