Dear Grant Edwards,
In message hdv4ns$4lk$1@ger.gmane.org you wrote:
I take it that your position is that everying that U-Boot doesn't support is worthless and stupid as are people who desire or currently use such features.
Now check who is rude and insulting.
U-Boot is a boot loader, and as such it provides a certain level of functionality. Its features are therefore limited (but still far better than available in most other boot loaders). But we definitly don't want to grow it into an operating system. There are certaing things like full network stack with authentication, encryption and who knows what else that simply have no place in a boot loader. If you need something like that (and your requirements say so), then use the appropriate tool, i. e. use an OS.
Best regards,
Wolfgang Denk