In message 20040826161304.GB2506@umax645sx you wrote:
I have question regarding this section. If interface is able to store mac address in its own eeprom then _no_ definition in enviroment should _ever_ exist. What does point "o" 4th mean? Do you really want to
No. For U-Boot the reference is always the value of the "ethaddr" envrionment variable.
allow U-Boot and (for example) Linux to boot with different mac address? Why?
Normally no user is supposed to touch or modify the MAC address. That's why it's value in the default configuration is read-only after being set. It gets set once during production (or automagically at first boot) and then never changes.
Now _if_ you configure U-Boot to allow overwriting the setting, then you are supposed to know what you are doing, and we will not limit you. You may have a special purpose of doing exactly this. If you don't like this, then don't do it.
"UNIX was not designed to stop you from doing stupid things, because that would also stop you from doing clever things." - Doug Gwyn
Best regards,
Wolfgang Denk