The message
IP-Config: Complete:
device=eth0, addr=a.b.c.253, mask=255.255.255.0, gw=a.b.c.1,
host=Sheeva, domain=, nis-domain=(none),
bootserver=a.b.c.1, rootserver=a.b.c.1, rootpath=
is a clear indication of kernel autoconfig function at work. So for your Debian Lenny on SD the network configuration is at issue. you can leave it as is right now let the kernel do the autoconfig. or may be copy the network configuration from NAND. it is my understand that
Ubuntu is a derivative from
Debian So I assume they work close enough for how network configuration.
I use
Gentoo as my Linux system although I am fluent in general how Linux system should work but I do not know how Debian based system initialize in detail. I suspect the
ifup/ifdown command may be checking some conditional indication file in system, instead checking the real network interface status. that is why you got
ifup/ifdown report not configured.
