The kernel panics return

So...yesterday around noon....working along trying to set up a an IP webcam - nothing fancy or exotic.  BAM!  Primary screen gets the dark overlay and the several language window - "you must shut down and restart your machine".


The iMac's been running fine since the last episode (Sept 12th - see the post) and now this....I hadn't updated or installed anything in a while.


Boot to safe mode....everything's fine.....restart....kernel panic.  Go to time machine backup from the previous day.....kernel panic.  Oh boy - here we go again - except this time I've been running 10.6.7 and back in Sept. I was running 10.6.8 - how many versions do I have to regress this time?


Screw it....let's upgrade to Lion and be done with it.  Boot to safe mode - navigate to the Lion installer and start it.  A while later, Lion's installed, and I restart.  Another kernel panic before it gets past the login screen.  Boot to safe mode - it's fine.  Dammit!  WTF?  Go take a break.


Return after a while...restore previous day's TM backup again.  Restart for the heck of it - kernel panic.  OK.....time for the snow leopard equivalent of archive and install (the process that worked back in Sept).  Boot to DVD, run the installer.  Back to 10.6.0 - restart - all's well.  Let the machine sit overnight.  Next day, still fine.  Deleted a few apps I never use, shut down a few things that started up automatically on login.  Ran Outlook, got my email, copied some new downloads to the NAS (just in case).  


Navigate to the 10.6.7 combo updater and run it with fingers crossed.  Restart - login - let the machine sit.....so far so good.  Wait 10 minutes and start iTunes.....still good, then Outlook - wait - ok.....then Chrome (using it to type this now).  Uptime of 1 hour 20 minutes and no KP yet....is the demon beaten into submission for good, or just regaining strength to attack in another few weeks?


My plan before all this was to upgrade to Lion over Thanksgiving....however, looks like I'll have to clone this drive (assuming no further issues) and then try the upgrade.  If I get kernel panics, I'll have to do a fresh install and then bring over my apps and such.....it'll suck, but a good cleaning might be called for since some of the stuff running now is left over from my migration from my 2007 Mac Mini.


Note to self:  If/when this happens again, there's a good chance iTunes won't recognize my iDevices any more....to fix that go here:  http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3540


Essentially: 

1. Disconnect the iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and quit iTunes.
2. In Finder, click the Go menu and then choose Go to Folder. Enter the following location into the text field that appears:
   /System/Library/LaunchDaemons
3. Click Go.
4. Locate the file "com.apple.usbmuxd.plist~orig" and drag it to the Trash. (Do not move the similarly named "com.apple.usbmuxd.plist" file to the Trash.)
5. Restart your Mac, open iTunes, and connect your device.