I recently purchased an atmega 328 with the uno bootloader and have been programming it with my arduino uno board but my uno is now being used elsewhere in a different project, so instead I tried connecting my ftdi breakout but everytime I try and upload a sketch it comes up with a sync error:
avrdude: stk500_getsync(): not in sync: resp=0x00
So is it possible to program the chip and monitor serial using an ftdi breakout? and if so how, or do I need to burn the duemilanove bootloader?
the ftdi breakout I'm using is the um232r which has the ft232rl chip on it (in case that helps at all)
Yes, you need DTR going thru a 100nF cap to the reset pin on the '328, which also needs a 10K pullup resistor to its Vcc. Otherwise, as JohnW says, a momentary reset switch to ground that you press & release when the IDE says "compiled sketch xxx of 32,xxx bytes" (some message along those lines).
Check that Rx/Tx lines are not swapped, that is another common problem.
Or not hacing all the grounds connected.