sanguinololu 1.3a shows up OK in dmesg, cannot connect, bad laptop usb fried usb2ttl?

Soldered up a sanguinololu 1.3a.
Connected to laptop:

[2327231.947046] usb 8-5: new full-speed USB device number 46 using ohci_hcd
[2327232.117218] ftdi_sio 8-5:1.0: FTDI USB Serial Device converter detected
[2327232.117306] usb 8-5: Detected FT232RL
[2327232.117311] usb 8-5: Number of endpoints 2
[2327232.117314] usb 8-5: Endpoint 1 MaxPacketSize 64
[2327232.117318] usb 8-5: Endpoint 2 MaxPacketSize 64
[2327232.117322] usb 8-5: Setting MaxPacketSize 64
[2327232.120032] usb 8-5: FTDI USB Serial Device converter now attached to ttyUSB0

Fire up pronterface, cannot connect.
Fire up arduino 0022, cannot upload:

Binary sketch size: 57358 bytes (of a 63488 byte maximum)
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding
avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding

Later I put a usb memory in the laptop and nothing happened, tested in my stationary, works fine.
Tested another sanguinololuboard with my stationary computer, works fine, both uploading marlin and connecting.

Not that I have called Sherlock holmes, but it seems my laptop should be in usb quarantine.

Questions:
I bought a multimeter the other day, can I and if Yes, at what points should I measure if the "tracks" are ok?
I have also bought an E'go USB-TTL adapter in case I just could solder that in. Being a software guy, I thought I should ask first, so that I don't make it worse.

Please, help.
Thanks in advance!

Short the TX and RX pins on the TTL lines with a paperclip, open minicom, and see if it loops back what you type.

If that's the case, then are you sure your AVR's bootloader is OK? Perhaps try swapping AVRs between your Sanguinololus and see if that's at fault.

If the AVR doesn't seem to be at fault and you're not getting loopback, measure continuity from each of the FT232's TX and RX pins (the leads off the chip, not the board pads) and their corresponding pins on the TTL connector and the AVR socket. You may have a bad solder joint on the FT232 or AVR's socket.

Hey there!

Thanks for the help! It actually was the bootloader! Weee!