In message 1107905713.9293.9.camel@localhost you wrote:
As far as I've looked at the sources, there is a configuration option that I can store environment variables on the dataflash, however how can I load the kernel image & ramdisk image from dataflash into SDRAM? (I've found no commands to do this, maybe I overlooked it somewhere..)
You use the same commands as for NOR flash. Dataflash support was intergrated transparently.
If there is no way to do this, what if I load the kernel image together with u-boot into sdram on startup, can u-boot start this "pre-loaded" kernel image?
In theory it can. [And actually it most probably will.]
However, you are aware that U-Boot expects to be started fresh out of reset on a completely uninitialized system, and on such a system you cannot have any SDRAM contents as the SDRAM has not been initialized yet. I guess you may want to read the FAQ at http://www.denx.de/twiki/bin/view/DULG/CanUBootBeConfiguredSuchThatItCanBeSt...
Best regards,
Wolfgang Denk