Grub2 fails to install to the MBR of /dev/sdb

[Lester M Petrie]

On 01/13/2012 03:49 PM, Greg Woods wrote:
> On Fri, 2012-01-13 at 14:18 -0500, Lester M Petrie wrote:
>
>> #grub2-install /dev/sdb
>> /sbin/grub2-setup: warn: Your embedding area is unusually small.
>> core.img won't fit in it..
>> /sbin/grub2-setup: warn: Embedding is not possible.  GRUB can only be
>> installed in this setup by using blocklists.  However, blocklists are
>> UNRELIABLE and their use is discouraged..
>
> I have a similar issue, but the final few lines say that embedding is
> required when the root parition is an LVM device (as mine is).
>
> I've got a workstation that works, and the first partition starts at
> block 2048. The laptop where I get the error starts at 63. So I suspect
> that I am screwed and will not be able to modify my grub2 configuration
> until I repartition the disk and leave more room at the beginning.
>
> I have tried modifying /etc/default/grub and running grub2-mkconfig
> -o /boot/grub2/grub.cfg and this has no effect, so I suspect that I am
> not really running grub2 or that there is a fixed embedded configuration
> that I can't change. Running grub2-install produces the error about the
> small embedding area.
>
> What does your disk partitioning look like?
>
> --Greg
>


The parted output for my machine is below.  The first partition on sdb 
is a Windows backup partition.  I regret now that I didn't move it to 
the end instead of leaving it at the beginning.

Model: ATA SAMSUNG HD103SJ (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 1000GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number  Start   End     Size    Type     File system  Flags
  1      32.3kB  41.1MB  41.1MB  primary  fat16        diag
  2      41.9MB  11.4GB  11.4GB  primary  ntfs         boot
  3      11.4GB  1000GB  989GB   primary  ntfs


Model: ATA SAMSUNG HD103SJ (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdb: 1000GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number  Start   End     Size    Type      File system     Flags
  3      32.3kB  526MB   526MB   primary   ext4            boot
  2      526MB   895GB   895GB   extended
  8      526MB   53.0GB  52.4GB  logical   ext4
  9      53.0GB  105GB   52.4GB  logical   ext4
  5      105GB   158GB   52.4GB  logical   ext4
  6      158GB   210GB   52.4GB  logical   ext4
  7      210GB   315GB   105GB   logical   ext4
10      315GB   880GB   565GB   logical   ext4
11      880GB   895GB   15.7GB  logical   linux-swap(v1)
  1      895GB   1000GB  105GB   primary   ntfs




-- 
Lester M Petrie