[Bug 1095142] Re: GRUB2 installation with GPT partition table unclear

[Rolf Leggewie]

After much reading in all kinds of places I came across
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2/Installing#BIOS.2BAC8-GPT_Notes
which uses a lot of cryptic lingo.  I created another partition just
like I was told, I also set the bios_grub flag for it.  I even tried
this for the /boot partition.  It's all still the same.  This needs to
be better documented and the error message needs to get better.  It
seems that grub does not like fat, ntfs, btrfs or ext[234] whenever it
thinks it needs to embed something.  The set of the remaining filesystem
choices from gparted in that case is [], the empty set.  So, once again,
what does this code from hell want me to do again?  If booting from GPT
on a non-EFI BIOS is not supported at all, then simply say so, but do it
in clear terms. Yikes, why do I even need to bother with all of these
terms I couldn't care less about?

BTW, I am not a total newbie, look at my profile if you like.  In any
case, Ubuntu should be more user-friendly even IF I was a newbie.

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
Foundations Bugs, which is subscribed to grub2 in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1095142

Title:
  GRUB2 installation with GPT partition table unclear

Status in “grub2” package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  GRUB2.00 recognizes ext4 as ext2. Extract of the log on
  http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=12431947&postcount=17 :

  
  #grub-install -v
  grub-install (GRUB) 2.00-7ubuntu11

  #grub-install --force /dev/sda4
  /usr/sbin/grub-bios-setup: warning: File system `ext2' doesn't support embedding.
  /usr/sbin/grub-bios-setup: warning: Embedding is not possible.  GRUB can only be installed in this setup by using blocklists.  However, blocklists are UNRELIABLE and their use is discouraged..
  Installation finished. No error reported.

  #parted -l
  Model: ATA Hitachi HTS54502 (scsi)
  Disk /dev/sda: 250GB
  Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
  Partition Table: gpt

  Number  Start   End    Size    File system     Name                  Flags
  1      20.5kB  210MB  210MB   fat32           EFI System Partition  boot
  2      210MB   193GB  192GB   hfs+            Customer
  3      193GB   193GB  650MB   hfs+            Recovery HD
  4      193GB   203GB  9998MB  ext4            LINUX
  5      203GB   204GB  1073MB  linux-swap(v1)  UBUNTU 2
  6      204GB   250GB  45.7GB  ntfs            BOOTCAMP
                                                      
  Warning: Unable to open /dev/sr0 read-write (Read-only file system).  /dev/sr0
  has been opened read-only.

                                                                            
  Error: /dev/sr0: unrecognised disk label

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/grub2/+bug/1095142/+subscriptions