grub2 fails when being installed in a partition
Affects | Status | Importance | Assigned to | Milestone | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
grub2 (Ubuntu) |
Expired
|
Undecided
|
Unassigned |
Bug Description
Binary package hint: grub-pc
I did a fresh install of Ubuntu 10.04 "Lucid Lynx" LTS Desktop Edition in a logical partition (sda10) and chose within the "Advanced Options" to install the boot loader in the same partition, because I wanted to chainload it via another grub. See e.g. the following example image:
http://
However, after a restart, the boot loader of Ubuntu 10.04 failed. :(
I then booted Ubuntu 10.04 directly via the first grub with the following boot entries:
title Ubuntu Linux 10.04 (sda10)
root (hd0,9)
kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/sda10 ro quiet splash
initrd /initrd.img
Then I tried to reinstall grub2 within Ubuntu 10.04:
$ sudo grub-install /dev/sda10
/usr/sbin/
/usr/sbin/
/usr/sbin/
However, installing grub in a partition instead of the MBR isn't a "BAD idea" per se when using different OSs. I think that it's a good idea to install the boot loader in the same partition as the OS and use a central boot loader to chainload the other boot loaders. There might be problems with blocklists in some cases, but I never had any in several years. So I tried the "force" option:
]$ sudo grub-install --force /dev/sda10
/usr/sbin/
/usr/sbin/
Installation finished. No error reported.
As you can see, it just doesn't work. :(
Changed in grub2 (Ubuntu): | |
status: | New → Confirmed |
tags: | removed: fail grub grub2 |
There is also a very important use case which fails due to this error: having a full disk encryption installation of Windows with truecrypt and then installing full disk encrypted ubuntu. The grub has to be installed on /boot partition as truecrypt installer has to be in MBR as it is not that flexible as grub.
I was able to install grub to the sda3 when manually running grub-setup with --force on alternate CD, but the grub install is broken as the assets are not found and I have to manually type the kernel and initrd options on minimal grub shell.