12.04 install failed to install bootloader using btrfs for root file system

[Timothy Matias]

When installing Ubuntu 12.04 nightly, I used btrfs for my 50 GB root filesystem, along with a 4 GB swap partition. The boot files were contained within the btrfs root ( / ) partition (I didn't create a separate boot partition), so I'm fairly certain this is a btrfs grub configuration issue. Good luck :-)

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.04
Package: ubiquity 2.9.27
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.2.0-18.29-generic 3.2.9
Uname: Linux 3.2.0-18-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 1.94.1-0ubuntu2
Architecture: amd64
CasperVersion: 1.307
Date: Mon Mar 12 16:47:27 2012
InstallCmdLine: initrd=/ubninit file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper quiet splash -- BOOT_IMAGE=/ubnkern
LiveMediaBuild: Ubuntu 12.04 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Alpha amd64 (20120311)
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=unknown
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: grub-installer
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Ubuntu QA Website (ubuntuqa)]

This bug has been reported on the Ubuntu ISO testing tracker.

A list of all reports related to this bug can be found here:
http://iso.qa.ubuntu.com/qatracker/reports/bugs/953559

[Philip Muškovac (yofel)]

Looking at the logs this seems to be a dup of bug 774217
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[Scott Kitterman (kitterman)]

I don't think btrfs installs are generally broken as I've done them with the RC images on i386.

[Brian Murray (brian-murray)]

Mar 12 23:46:33 ubuntu grub-installer: info: Installing grub on '/dev/sda'
Mar 12 23:46:34 ubuntu grub-installer: info: grub-install supports --no-floppy
Mar 12 23:46:34 ubuntu grub-installer: info: Running chroot /target grub-install --no-floppy --force "/dev/sda"
Mar 12 23:46:39 ubuntu grub-installer: /usr/sbin/grub-setup: warn:
Mar 12 23:46:39 ubuntu grub-installer:
Mar 12 23:46:39 ubuntu grub-installer: Your core.img is unusually large. It won't fit in the embedding area.
Mar 12 23:46:39 ubuntu grub-installer: .
Mar 12 23:46:39 ubuntu grub-installer: /usr/sbin/grub-setup: warn:
Mar 12 23:46:39 ubuntu grub-installer:
Mar 12 23:46:39 ubuntu grub-installer: Embedding is not possible. GRUB can only be installed in this setup by using blocklists. However, blocklists are UNRELIABLE and their use is discouraged.
Mar 12 23:46:39 ubuntu grub-installer: .
Mar 12 23:46:44 ubuntu grub-installer: /usr/sbin/grub-setup: error:
Mar 12 23:46:44 ubuntu grub-installer:
Mar 12 23:46:44 ubuntu grub-installer: cannot read `/@/boot/grub/core.img' correctly
Mar 12 23:46:44 ubuntu grub-installer: .
Mar 12 23:46:44 ubuntu grub-installer: error: Running 'grub-install --no-floppy --force "/dev/sda"' failed.

[Jean.c.h (slug71)]

I tried installing both 12.04 and 12.10 using BTRFS for both / and /home and Grub failed to install with each of them. Tried on both my Netbook as well as my test rig(P4). When I dig a little deeper, it seems Grub complains about core.img being "unusually large".....

An interesting observation I made today though.
On my test rig I have a number of installations of numerous distros. Havent fired this up in a couple of years mind you so I still had the Lucid development install as the latest on here....lol.
On the box I had a install of Fedora 13(which was the latest stable at the time IIRC) on BTRFS. Installed as both / and /home. Fedora 13 still had legacy Grub and I remember Lucid with Grub2 not being able to boot Fedora 13.
Well last night I replaced the Lucid install with 12.04 on Ext4(since BTRFS wounldn't work) and then today decided to check if Fedora would boot. Sure enough it boots! So I KNOW they can play nice.