.... so I reinstalled the Arduino environment to make sure it was pristine, added winavr, so the 1284P is supported (avrdude -p? lists it). I got the AVRISP MKII fully installed including the right USB drivers. However, I lack a avrdude.conf file entry that I can trust.
In the past, I used a conf file entry for the sanguino project (which uses the dip version of the chip, not the TQFP version I am using). That doesn't seem to work. So I wonder whether anyone has a conf file that includes an entry for the 1284P, especially if it's a TQFP version. For example, the Bahbot would be one logical entry since it uses the same chip.
I suppose I could learn to use avrdude to upload the bootloader, but I would prefer the convenience of the Arduino IDE, if possible. Many thanks for any help, Constantin