The subject page might need correction/clarification.
Today for the first time I tried my USBtinyISP bought from ladyada.net.
I followed the instructions here...
I work with Arduino enviro 0021 on a Windows XP machine.
I have multiple arduino boards but only want to program my Arduino Mega with the tinyISP, so I created a new entry in boards.txt...
megaISP.name=Arduino Mega (ATmega1280) USBtinyISP
megaISP.upload.using=usbtinyisp
megaISP.bootloader.low_fuses=0xFF
megaISP.bootloader.high_fuses=0xDA
megaISP.bootloader.extended_fuses=0xF5
megaISP.bootloader.path=atmega
megaISP.bootloader.file=ATmegaBOOT_168_atmega1280.hex
megaISP.bootloader.unlock_bits=0x3F
megaISP.bootloader.lock_bits=0x0F
megaISP.build.mcu=atmega1280
megaISP.build.f_cpu=16000000L
megaISP.build.core=arduino
Note that the text in programmers.txt for the usbtinyisp shows up as "USBtinyISP". So when I originally followed the instructions at the [subject] page I copied the text with this exact case. However when using "...upload.using=USBtinyISP" the Arduino 0021 environment complains with...
java.lang.NullPointerException
at processing.app.debug.AvrdudeUploader.getProgrammerCommands(Unknown Source)
at processing.app.debug.AvrdudeUploader.uploadUsingPreferences(Unknown Source)
at processing.app.Sketch.upload(Unknown Source)
at processing.app.Sketch.exportApplet(Unknown Source)
at processing.app.Sketch.exportApplet(Unknown Source)
at processing.app.Editor$DefaultExportHandler.run(Unknown Source)
at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:619)
Only when using "...upload.using=usbtinyisp" in boards.txt does it actually succeed.
This case-sensitivity may or may-not be a problem for other device names in programmers.txt.