Antminer rejects every attempt at cleaning up kernel with updates no matter WHAT I try it with, including the "clean up the mess that happened when you tried to update and it wouldn't" version they have on their site.

The miner just will. Not. Accept. Any. Fixes.

how can I check what the config bin file is or where?

And again, how do I do an SD card reflash? It violently rejects any attempts at reflashing the firmware via the "you have been hacked and this is the web interface you get now, sucker" interface.