Need some help getting a new TinyG up and running

OK, time to stop hacking and get some help/input.

My environment:
Host PC is openSUSE 12.3 Linux
Using PUTTY to connect to TinyG
Using avrdude version 5.11.1 for programming
TinyG, when connected, appears on /dev/ttyUSB0

TinyG
Version 7 , shipped in late Match, 2013
Appears to have a bootloader, but I think it is “broken”
Why?
– All references on the forum say the Spindle LED blinks at 4HZ for about 3 seconds, what I see is
3 long and one short blinks in those 3 seconds
– Reset button works as above
– sending ctl-X (^X) works same as reset button
but
– sending $boot=1 blinks for perhaps 6 to 7 seconds, then the interface dies
– a hard (reset button) reset brings it back
– sending {“boot”:1} same result as $boot=1

I have no motors connected at the moment, just playing with TinyG firmaware and interfaces

Here is the result of the $sys command

$sys
[fb]  firmware build            370.08
[fv]  firmware version            0.95
[hv]  hardware version            7.00
[id]  TinyG ID                    9H3906-P2T
[ja]  junction acceleration  100000 mm
[ct]  chordal tolerance           0.010 mm
[st]  switch type                 0 [0=NO,1=NC]
[ej]  enable json mode            0 [0=text,1=JSON]
[jv]  json verbosity              4 [0=silent,1=footer,2=messages,3=configs,4=linenum,5=verbose]
[tv]  text verbosity              1 [0=silent,1=verbose]
[qv]  queue report verbosity      0 [0=off,1=filtered,2=verbose]
[sv]  status report verbosity     1 [0=off,1=filtered,2=verbose]
[si]  status interval           100 ms
[ic]  ignore CR or LF on RX       0 [0=off,1=CR,2=LF]
[ec]  expand LF to CRLF on TX     0 [0=off,1=on]
[ee]  enable echo                 0 [0=off,1=on]
[ex]  enable xon xoff             1 [0=off,1=on]
[baud] USB baud rate              5 [1=9600,2=19200,3=38400,4=57600,5=115200,6=230400]
[gpl] default gcode plane         0 [0=G17,1=G18,2=G19]
[gun] default gcode units mode    1 [0=G20,1=G21]
[gco] default gcode coord system  1 [1-6 (G54-G59)]
[gpa] default gcode path control  2 [0=G61,1=G61.1,2=G64]
[gdi] default gcode distance mode 0 [0=G90,1=G91]

I was hoping it was a firmware issue, not bootloader issue, so downloaded
the tinyg.hex file “380.05 Firmware version 0.96 master push” and tried to flash the new firmware.

This is the typical progress I made:

avrdude -p x192a3 -c avr109 -b 115200 -P /dev/ttyUSB0 -U flash:w:tinyg.hex

Connecting to programmer: .
Found programmer: Id = "XBoot++"; type = S
    Software Version = 1.7; No Hardware Version given.
Programmer supports auto addr increment.
Programmer supports buffered memory access with buffersize=31522 bytes.

Programmer supports the following devices:
    Device code: 0x22
    Device code: 0x76
    Device code: 0x76
    Device code: 0x22
    Device code: 0x32
    Device code: 0x4c
    Device code: 0x69
    Device code: 0x50
    Device code: 0x2c
    Device code: 0x31
    Device code: 0x7d
    Device code: 0x22
    Device code: 0x66
    Device code: 0x68
    Device code: 0x64
    Device code: 0x50
    Device code: 0x53
    Device code: 0x59
    Device code: 0x2c
    Device code: 0x69
    Device code: 0x6b
avrdude: butterfly_recv(): programmer is not responding

Note: The reported buffersize seems to change from run to run, which does not make sense to me.

A thought: is 115200 baud too fast for this?

Sometimes I got less back from avrdude before the “avrdude: butterfly_recv(): programmer is not responding”
message appears, the leds stopped blinking and the putty console delivered what looks like the typical
end of boot messages.
I attempted once by starting boot with $boot=1, no luck.
Attempts with reset button and sending cntl-X were similar.

I am going to assume Alden or Riley will suggest sending my TinG back for reprogramming, as I do not have a programmer.

Side/Related comment.
I am just getting familiarized with git and see a difficult communications issue.
Too many posts say use the “latest” of this or that, but how long does the “latest” apply.
The time between posts on some topics are many days/weeks/months.
Since git just delivers a “tinyg.hex”, it gets difficult to know what we are dealing with.

Might I suggest that at a minimum we talk about builds, such as “tinyg.hex 380.05 Firmware version 0.96 master push” until things stabilize
a bit and it will suffice to say “works with Master 0.96” or similar?

By the way – nice work, guys – looks to be a fun playground.
Just oh, so many details, details, details