when I select /dev/sdb to install grub when /dev/sda fails, still error, /dev/sdb is ok

[iugamarian]

Windows 7 with strange partition layout on /dev/sda, Ubuntu 15.10 sees it but Ubuntu 16.04 des not see it. /dev/sdb seems to have normal partition layout. Found on Google how to install grub manually:
http://howtoubuntu.org/how-to-repair-restore-reinstall-grub-2-with-a-ubuntu-live-cd

When selecting /dev/sdb I think it still is /dev/sda in the script variable.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 16.04
Package: ubiquity 2.21.63 [modified: lib/partman/automatically_partition/question]
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.4.0-21.37-generic 4.4.6
Uname: Linux 4.4.0-21-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.1-0ubuntu2
Architecture: amd64
CasperVersion: 1.376
Date: Fri May 6 09:54:13 2016
InstallCmdLine: file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu-mate.seed boot=casper initrd=/casper/initrd.lz quiet splash --- maybe-ubiquity
LiveMediaBuild: Ubuntu-MATE 16.04 LTS "Xenial Xerus" - Release amd64 (20160420.1)
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: grub-installer
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[iugamarian (iuga-marian)]

root@ubuntu-mate:~# lsblk
NAME MAJ:MIN RM SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT
sda 8:0 0 465.8G 0 disk
├─sda1 8:1 0 141.4G 0 part
├─sda2 8:2 0 19.5G 0 part
├─sda3 8:3 0 39.1G 0 part
└─sda4 8:4 0 265.8G 0 part
sdb 8:16 0 232.9G 0 disk
├─sdb1 8:17 0 212.3G 0 part
└─sdb2 8:18 0 20.6G 0 part
sdc 8:32 1 7.5G 0 disk /cdrom
├─sdc1 8:33 1 1.5G 0 part
└─sdc2 8:34 1 2.3M 0 part
sr0 11:0 1 1024M 0 rom
loop0 7:0 0 1.5G 1 loop /rofs

[iugamarian (iuga-marian)]

root@ubuntu-mate:~# mount /dev/sdb2 /mnt
root@ubuntu-mate:~# mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev && mount --bind /dev/pts /mnt/dev/pts && mount --bind /proc /mnt/proc && mount --bind /sys /mnt/sys
root@ubuntu-mate:~# sudo chroot /mnt
root@ubuntu-mate:/# grub-install /dev/sda
Installing for i386-pc platform.
grub-install: warning: this LDM has no Embedding Partition; embedding won't be possible.
grub-install: error: embedding is not possible, but this is required for cross-disk install.
root@ubuntu-mate:/# grub-install /dev/sdb
Installing for i386-pc platform.
Installation finished. No error reported.
root@ubuntu-mate:/#

[iugamarian (iuga-marian)]

root@ubuntu-mate:/# update-grub
Generating grub configuration file ...
Warning: Setting GRUB_TIMEOUT to a non-zero value when GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT is set is no longer supported.
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-21-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-4.4.0-21-generic
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.elf
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
grub-probe: error: cannot find a GRUB drive for /dev/sda4. Check your device.map.
grub-probe: error: cannot find a GRUB drive for /dev/sdc1. Check your device.map.
Found Windows 7 (loader) on /dev/sdb1
done
root@ubuntu-mate:/#

[iugamarian (iuga-marian)]

root@ubuntu-mate:/# exit && umount /mnt/sys && umount /mnt/proc && umount /mnt/dev/pts && umount /mnt/dev && umount /mnt
exit
root@ubuntu-mate:~#

:)

[Phillip Susi (psusi)]

Windows converted the disk to a "dynamic disk", which is not supported. You will need to convert it back to a "basic disk".

[iugamarian (iuga-marian)]

Thank you. The installer should say that :D