Dear apple pie,

In message SNT139-W344C29BC9A8B98CF32F520E3370@phx.gbl you wrote:

I have a number of u-boot development questions that I would like to raise to you for answers:

(1) Is it possible to install u-boot in a Windows XP environment? If it is, please tell me the steps to follow. Are they the same as those cut out for Linux?

I have no idea, and frankly, I don't care. Why would you go through t he pain of working in an inappropriate, hostile environment? If you are not permitted to install Linux on your machine, running it in a VM should be trivial these days.

(2) Is it possible to use 'cgywin' to build u-boot, since 'cgywin' mimicks Linux's environment?

Maybe. It is not an officially supported mode of operation.

(3) Is it possible to directly download an u-boot image onto the RAM space of a customerized development board to debug u-boot? If it is, please list out the steps to follow.

This depends on a number of things, last but not least the architecture / SoC in question and the tools available to you (JTAG debugger etc.). Please see also the FAQ.

(4) What type of u-boot image should be used, if downloading of the u-boot image to the RAM space of the board is via a Lauterbach ICE (a debugger with a JTAG interface)? Normally, a Lauterbach ICE expects a .axf file to be downloaded (axf = archived, executable file), but in the u-boot case, should it be the ELF image u-boot build generates?

You should use the appropriate binary image.

(5) The intention of the endeavor is to develope some "standalone applications" that allow frequencies/operating-voltages of the CPU & peripherals to be changed, during the time when u-boot is run, such as to measure the performances of the CPU & other peripherals. The existing development board has an ARM Cortex-A9 and a Cortex-R4 running on it.

<not a question>

(6) Is it possible to make "minor changes" to the u-boot codes, such that controls could be passed back to u-boot at will from an application, which gets executed using the u-boot command: go <address> ?

I don't understand the question.

Please elaborate in as much details as possible, if it can. The motivation is that after a change of operating frequencies & voltages of the CPU & peripherals, u-boot command: go <address> would be called to measure performances of the board. Thereafter, control would be returned to u-boot again, such that another set of operating frequencies & voltages could be selected. (7) Is it possible for a file to be read in, say, from a SD card via u-boot command, since u-boot comes with a SD driver?

Yes.

Also, is there any write-up that describes how to search past questions raised by u-boot users? As it stand, I google search seems to be the only way that I could be used to come up with relevant questions associated with a keyword.

The U-Boot front page (http://www.denx.de/wiki/U-Boot) points directly to three mailing list archives, each of wich comes with some sort of search functionality. Please read the related documentation and pikt the interface you like best. My personal preference is usually gmane, but YMMV.

Best regards,

Wolfgang Denk