[U-Boot-Users] U-boot with IBM-PPC440GP - questions

[Helio Fujimoto <helio.fujimoto@cyclades.com>]

Hi, there,

(please answer with copy to me, because I am not subscribed to the 
mailing list)

My company is starting to develop an IBM-PPC440GP based board, and, as 
it is a new processor for me, I am thinking on using the u-boot as the 
boot loader. I installed the source code and I generated the image for 
ebony (IBM-PPC440GP eval board), though I don't have it. I analysed the 
features the packet have, and it seems to have everything I need. 
However, I would like to ask some questions before deciding for it:

(1) - Did anyone use the U-boot with the IBM-440GP? If so, could you 
give me an idea of the boot time, both with the default configuration 
and with an optimized configuration?

(2) - The binary file (u-boot.bin) generated was too big for me (almost 
half Mbytes). Could it be smaller, how? Is it already compressed?

(3) - My board uses the LXT972 as the Ethernet transceiver (PHY). Does 
the boot loader support it?

(4) - I will use the Montavista Linux as operating system. Have anyone 
done that already? How hard is it to integrate the U-boot with it?

(5) - Will I have to publish the changes which are specific to my board, 
if I use the u-boot?

Thank you,

Helio Fujimoto.