Error during installing GRUB

rob111 · 2013-08-31 18:19:48

Hi everybody
I got error message during installing GRUB when installing Arch Linux on my computer has I used with Windows 7 and I didn't erase from hard drive.

sh-4.2# grub-install /dev/sda
/usr/bin/grub-bios-setup: warning: your embedding area is unusually small. core.img won't fir in it..
/usr/bin/grub-bios-setup: warning: Embedding is not possible. GRUB can only be installed in this setup by using blocklists. However, blocklistst are UNRELIABLE and their use is discouraged..
/usr/bin/grub-bios-setup: error: will not proceed with blocklists.

I tried to figure out the problem by look at partitions

sh-4.2# fdisk -l /dev/sda

Disk /dev/sda: 250.1 GB, 250059350016 bytes, 488397168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk label type: dos
Disk identifier: 0x49e2fd2f
Device      Boot            Start               End        Blocks          Id            System
/dev/sda1                        32          35155967     17577968        83           Linux
/dev/sda2              35155968         42967039       3905536         83           Linux
/dev/sda3    *         42967040         43962367         497664        83           Linux
/dev/sda4              43962368        488397167   222217400        83            Linux

I found solution on Forum to install syslinux instead of GRUB
But I can't install syslinux too

sh-4.2# syslinux-install_update -i -a -m
sh: syslinux-install_update: command not found

Could someone help me to understand what I'm doing wrong?
Thanks in advance

clfarron4 · 2013-08-31 19:03:38

rob111 wrote:

Hi everybody
I got error message during installing GRUB when installing Arch Linux on my computer has I used with Windows 7 and I didn't erase from hard drive.

sh-4.2# grub-install /dev/sda
/usr/bin/grub-bios-setup: warning: your embedding area is unusually small. core.img won't fir in it..
/usr/bin/grub-bios-setup: warning: Embedding is not possible. GRUB can only be installed in this setup by using blocklists. However, blocklistst are UNRELIABLE and their use is discouraged..
/usr/bin/grub-bios-setup: error: will not proceed with blocklists.

This much (with a bit of Google searching) tells me that you haven't left enough space at the front of the drive for the boot-loader bit of GRUB to fit in (or at least, I think that it what it is).

If this is the case, then you need to shrink the first partition (only by a couple of MBs), shift it to give more space at the front of the drive and then try again.

sh-4.2# syslinux-install_update -i -a -m
sh: syslinux-install_update: command not found

...

Sounds like whatever you're using doesn't have the syslinux package installed.

Last edited by clfarron4 (2013-08-31 19:05:31)

rob111 · 2013-08-31 20:49:25

Thank you for replay. Which part of disk do I have to increase?
I have now four disks
sda1( root) size 17999.86 MB
sda2(swap) size 4000 MB
sda3(boot) size 510 MB
sda4(home) size 227550 MB

After I will add some more MB do I have to mount this partition?
Does this problem may be related with that HDD contain now Windows 7?
I have 2 HDDs 250GB each but when I installing Arch system was finding just one. Is it problem right now or not?
Thank you

WonderWoofy · 2013-08-31 20:50:26

If you installed syslinux, that command should be there. But you need to actually install syslinux.

FWIW, I am a syslinux user (when I use legacy bios machines), and I love it. It is just so damn simple, and uses a hand edited configuration that is not filled with all kinds of crazy if statements and whatnot.

The reason grub won't install for you is beacuse your first partition starts at LBA32. The current standard start of partitions is 2048. This is to accomodate a number of things, including Advanced Format disks, as well as older 512 aligned disks, various device-mapper setups, and RAID. So because grub2 is so bloated, typically on a MBR/ms-dos partitioned system, it would use the first 446bytes of the MBR (as is normal), but it would also require the space between the MBR (LBA 0) and the first partition (LBA 2048) for its extra crap.

The problem with this is that with GPT, its partition table lives in that same area after the MBR but before the first partition. Granted, the default 128 partitions that GPT allows does not take up that entire area, but grub will still not install itself there, presumably for the safety of the GPT partition table. So instead, there is the option to create the bios boot partition (gdisk type EF02) where this extra stuff can be stored.

In your case, your partition is simply in the wrong starting point for use with GRUB. So I do believe that you still have the option of being able to use a bios boot partitions with MBR partitioning. It just requires the use of that certain fdisk type code, which I do not know off-hand. But if you only have one Linux system installed, you might as well just use syslinux, as it is a cleaner solution if all the extra features of grub are not needed.

clfarron4 · 2013-08-31 20:52:30

rob111 wrote:

Thank you for replay. Which part of disk do I have to increase?
I have now four disks
sda1( root) size 17999.86 MB
sda2(swap) size 4000 MB
sda3(boot) size 510 MB
sda4(home) size 227550 MB
After I will add some more MB do I have to mount this partition?
Does this problem may be related with that HDD contain now Windows 7?
I have 2 HDDs 250GB each but when I installing Arch system was finding just one. Is it problem right now or not?
Thank you

You need to SHRINK /root by around 5MB.
After that you need to move /root away from the start of the disk do the extra 5MB of unallocated space is added to the unallocated space already at the start of the disk.

EDIT: What WonderWoofy has said is also true.

Last edited by clfarron4 (2013-08-31 20:54:11)

rob111 · 2013-08-31 22:49:38

So I change arrangement of partitions and started installation process again and when I reached grub-install /dev/sda I got same error message.

WonderWoofy wrote:

If you installed syslinux, that command should be there. But you need to actually install syslinux.

I didn't install syslinux. Could you explaining step by step how to install syslinux in my case?
I am new in Linux.
Thank you for your passion.

clfarron4 · 2013-08-31 22:56:32

rob111 wrote:

So I change arrangement of partitions and started installation process again and when I reached grub-install /dev/sda I got same error message.
WonderWoofy wrote:
If you installed syslinux, that command should be there. But you need to actually install syslinux.
I didn't install syslinux. Could you explaining step by step how to install syslinux in my case?
I am new in Linux.
Thank you for your passion.

What WonderWoofy means is that you have to install the syslinux package (which provides you with the tools to install the syslinux bootloader) with pacman before you can install the syslinux bootloader to the hard disk with the commands suggested in the wiki.

WonderWoofy · 2013-08-31 23:02:28

Yeah now that I go back and reread my post there, that was probbaly most unclear.

cfr · 2013-08-31 23:02:49

Please follow the Beginners' Guide. It will answer many of your questions e.g. about installing packages and enable you to configure your system correctly.

e.g. https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Be … e#Syslinux

Last edited by cfr (2013-08-31 23:23:48)

clfarron4 · 2013-08-31 23:08:26

WonderWoofy wrote:

Yeah now that I go back and reread my post there, that was probbaly most unclear.

The thing is I would expect so many of the Linux users here to read that post and know that you meant what I explained in my post (this seems reasonable because ArchLinux requires either prior study or prior experience with another distribution). So I'm not surprised you said that.

@rob111: I give you points for bravery/foolishness for being new to Linux and choosing to use ArchLinux. You have A LOT TO LEARN.

Arch Linux

#1 2013-08-31 18:19:48

Error during installing GRUB

#2 2013-08-31 19:03:38

Re: Error during installing GRUB

#3 2013-08-31 20:49:25

Re: Error during installing GRUB

#4 2013-08-31 20:50:26

Re: Error during installing GRUB

#5 2013-08-31 20:52:30

Re: Error during installing GRUB

#6 2013-08-31 22:49:38

Re: Error during installing GRUB

#7 2013-08-31 22:56:32

Re: Error during installing GRUB

#8 2013-08-31 23:02:28

Re: Error during installing GRUB

#9 2013-08-31 23:02:49

Re: Error during installing GRUB

#10 2013-08-31 23:08:26

Re: Error during installing GRUB

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