iPod Classic 6th gen seems bricked. Please advise.

[psc23]

Apologies in advance for the book but I could really use some guidance here.

I ordered a used 6th gen classic, which arrived today (it was already formatted as FAT). It was functioning properly. I'm on an M1 mac. I attempted to use the automatic installer which failed during the "hold and be ready to quickly release the menu+select buttons" stage. I believe that I had released the buttons too early (a finder window opened to ask about restoring the iPod, which mostly covered the Rockbox utility window so I guessed). The installation failed. Reattempting the installation was impossible as the Rockbox utility configuration dialog claimed that the mount point had changed.

After reconnecting the ipod, the Rockbox configuration still claimed that the original mount point was wrong. Letting finder restore the iPod resolved this and allowed me to try again.
I had moved the installer window onto another monitor and this time I waited until the dialog told me to release the buttons. I released them immediately. I was watching the window like a hawk. It failed and suggested that I try again. I did. Several times. It failed in the same way and required restoration. This was unpleasant but I figured, "I'm a computer programmer, preferring the command line whenever possible...how difficult could manual installation be?" I decided to give it a try.

I placed the unzipped .rockbox folder from rockbox-ipod6g-3.15.zip into the root of the ipod and ran

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./mks5lboot --dfuscan -l
from the command line.
I put the iPod into DFU mode and mks5lboot detected it.
I ctrl-c'd out of it.
I ran

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./mks5lboot --bl-inst ./bootloader-ipod6g.ipod
and it claimed that the operation was successful:

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./mks5lboot --bl-inst ./bootloader-ipod6g.ipod
mks5lboot Version fb1b604-170227
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is NO
warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

[INFO] Building DFU:
[INFO]  type:         BL installer
[INFO]  BL size:      102336
[INFO]  DFU size:     110480
[INFO]  model name:   Classic 6G
[INFO]  platform:     ipod6g
[INFO]  RB name:      ip6g
[INFO]  RB num:       71
[INFO] libusb: found [05ac:1241] at bus 2, device 7, USB ver. 0200
[INFO] DFU image sent successfully (110480 bytes)

The manual then says,
"When the installation is complete, you should have Rockbox up and running!"
Not so.

The ipod no longer turns on (whether or not it's connected to the macbook).
Attempting to allow finder to restore the iPod now fails with the message,
"An iPod has been detected, but it could not be identified properly. Please disconnect and reconnect the iPod, then try again. An unknown error occurred (2005)."
Disconnecting and reconnecting yields the same results.
Rockbox cannot "see" the iPod, nor does it appear in finder or the diskutility.

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./mks5lboot --dfuscan -l
now says,

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[14] DFU scan:
[INFO] libusb: found [05ac:1241] at bus 2, device 7, USB ver. 0200
[ERR] DFU request failed: LIBUSB_ERROR_TIMEOUT (cs=a1/5/0/0/1)"

Seems bad but at least the system still recognizes the device on some level, I guess...

I carefully followed the instructions and my iPod seems bricked.
I can determine no recourse from here.
Please advise.

Also, if I've erred somehow, please sort me out.
Thank you.