C.H.I.P. flashing problem

I have a C.H.I.P. $9-Computer from the now defunct Next Thing Co. on which I need to flash an updated OS. In the past I have not had a problem, but now I'm getting an error. The catch is that I was using a web application before and it is no longer available...

== Staging for NAND probe ==
Image Name:   detect NAND
Created:      Thu Aug 22 23:05:48 2019
Image Type:   ARM Linux Script (uncompressed)
Data Size:    97 Bytes = 0.09 KiB = 0.00 MiB
Load Address: 00000000
Entry Point:  00000000
Contents:
   Image 0: 89 Bytes = 0.09 KiB = 0.00 MiB
waiting for fel...OK
usb_bulk_send() ERROR -7: Operation timed out

/var/log/messages has:

Aug 22 22:50:47 HP-JEH mtp-probe: checking bus 1, device 10: "/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1a.0/usb1/1-1/1-1.2"
Aug 22 22:50:47 HP-JEH mtp-probe: bus: 1, device: 10 was not an MTP device

I'm using Thore Krugs' script:

  echo "   #  #  #"
  echo "  #########"
  echo "###       ###"
  echo "  # {#}   #"
  echo "###  '\######"
  echo "  #       #"
  echo "###       ###"
  echo "  ########"
  echo "   #  #  #"


echo " Welcome to the C.H.I.P Flasher Tool " 

echo " Please enter your wanted flavour " 
echo " ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "
echo " enter p for pocketchip Image "
echo " enter s for the headless Server Image "
echo " enter g for the Desktop Image "
echo " enter b for the Buildroot Image " 
echo " ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "
echo " IMPORTANT INFO "
echo " If u suffer from Power Problems add a n "
echo " to your choice of flavour "
echo " Example: gn for the No-Limit Desktop Image "
echo " ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "
echo " Other options " 
echo " ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "
echo " enter f for Force Clean " 
echo " ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "
echo " Then press enter please " 

read flavour



echo -e "\n Setting up environment"
sudo apt-get -y update
sudo apt-get install curl -y
sudo apt-get install u-boot-tools -y
sudo apt-get -y install \
 git \
 fastboot \
 sunxi-tools \
 u-boot-tools \
 adb \
 u-boot-tools \
 android-tools-fastboot \

echo -e "\n Adding current user to dialout group"
sudo usermod -a -G dialout $(logname)

echo -e "\n Adding current user to plugdev group"
sudo usermod -a -G plugdev $(logname)


echo -e "\n Adding udev rule for Allwinner device"
echo -e 'SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="1f3a", ATTRS{idProduct}=="efe8", GROUP="plugdev", MODE="0660" SYMLINK+="usb-chip"
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="18d1", ATTRS{idProduct}=="1010", GROUP="plugdev", MODE="0660" SYMLINK+="usb-chip-fastboot"
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="1f3a", ATTRS{idProduct}=="1010", GROUP="plugdev", MODE="0660" SYMLINK+="usb-chip-fastboot"
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTRS{idVendor}=="067b", ATTRS{idProduct}=="2303", GROUP="plugdev", MODE="0660" SYMLINK+="usb-serial-adapter"
' | sudo tee /etc/udev/rules.d/99-allwinner.rules
sudo udevadm control --reload-rules

echo -e "\n Installing CHIP-tools"
if [ -d CHIP-tools ]; then
 cd CHIP-tools 
 git pull 
 FEL='sudo sunxi-fel' FASTBOOT='sudo fastboot' SNIB=false ./chip-update-firmware.sh -$flavour
 elif [ ! -d CHIP-tools ]; then
 git clone https://github.com/Project-chip-crumbs/CHIP-tools.git
 cd  CHIP-tools 
 FEL='sudo sunxi-fel' FASTBOOT='sudo fastboot' SNIB=false ./chip-update-firmware.sh -$flavour
fi

Any suggestions where to look?

Have you checked if the links for this now defunct company are still valid?

I have, and while they are active, they now belong to some shopping mob.

In particular, there's a github link in that script, which (although I'm no expert) it appears the script downloads from. Have the shopping mob got that too?

No, that link appears good. I get CHIP-tools OK. Whether what I get is good is another question.

Moved: This thread is more suitable in <Linux - Embedded & Single-board computer> and has been moved accordingly to help your thread/question get the exposure it deserves.

What's the hardware way in? In the old days it was eprom/eeprom and all things were easy. Nowadays I presume it's some serial input to flash memory?