OK, am using my file server, an atom board running suse 11.2 linux "2.6.31.5-0.1-pae", and I got the usb_bulk_write error seen before:

Sending and flashing rootfs image (134912 kB)...
1% (2560 of 134912 kB, 9446 kB/s))
Write failed after 2621440 bytes
usb_bulk_write: No such device or address


FWIW, the desktop machine is running 2.6.31.5-0.1-default - note not PAE. Whether that makes a difference I don't know.

--edit1--
oh no, now the tablet simply flashes up the initial power-on screen with the image of a 770 with the spanner. the flashing program won't even detect the device appearing.

--edit2--
I added a couple of lines to the /etc/modprobe.d/50-blacklist.conf file thus
and then, with a fresh battery, the flasher-3.0-static tool worked, using the file server suse 11.2, 2.6.31.5-0.1-pae.

phew! FWIW, I decided to reflash because my n800 reported its storage was full and I had too much cruft that needed clearing out, so I figured a fresh start would help. I began to wish I hadn't. Then I had guilty thoughts about it breaking it being an excuse to buy an n900.
--edit3-- oh yeah, I forgot, another reason I've been meaning to reflash for ages was because the media player couldn't remember anything I played, and the metalayer crawler was b0rked and there was no media library. basically, I'd fannied around so much it needed a clean start :-)