[Bug 838981] [NEW] Upgrade to Beta 1 does not install grub to partition

[Zak B. Elep]

Public bug reported:

Description:	Ubuntu oneiric (development branch)
Release:	11.10

grub-pc:
  Installed: 1.99-11ubuntu1
  Candidate: 1.99-11ubuntu1
  Version table:
 *** 1.99-11ubuntu1 0
        500 http://tw.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ oneiric/main i386 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

Prior setup is a Natty Install on /dev/sda5, with grub2 installed on
that same partition, as laptop has a Windows installation in /dev/sda2,
and the Windows boot manager is used as the main, chainloading to grub
when Ubuntu is desired.

Upgrade to Oneiric Beta 1 seems to have a grub2 that does not allow
itself being installed in /dev/sda5, as seen in /var/log/dist-upgrade
/apt-term.log...

/usr/sbin/grub-setup: warn: Attempting to install GRUB to a partitionless disk or to a partition.  This is a BAD idea..
/usr/sbin/grub-setup: warn: Embedding is not possible.  GRUB can only be installed in this setup by using blocklists.  However, blocklists are UNRELIABLE and their use is discouraged..
/usr/sbin/grub-setup: error: will not proceed with blocklists.

...first reboot after upgrade left the Windows boot manager intact, but
choosing to boot Ubuntu with it leads to a blank screen, meaning there's
no grub2 in /dev/sda5; I find it odd that the upgrade removed it.

Workaround was to boot with a rescue CD (e.g. Natty live CD) and chroot
to /dev/sda5 to do `grub-install /dev/sda'; while this works now, this
may be undesirable for those using non-Linux boot loaders as their
primary boot manager.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
Package: grub-pc 1.99-11ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-9.15-generic 3.0.3
Uname: Linux 3.0.0-9-generic i686
NonfreeKernelModules: wl fglrx
Architecture: i386
Date: Fri Sep  2 01:40:44 2011
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release i386 (20110427.1)
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_PH:en
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_PH.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: grub2
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2011-09-01 (0 days ago)

** Affects: grub2 (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New


** Tags: apport-bug i386 oneiric running-unity

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/838981

Title:
  Upgrade to Beta 1 does not install grub to partition

Status in “grub2” package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  Description:	Ubuntu oneiric (development branch)
  Release:	11.10

  grub-pc:
    Installed: 1.99-11ubuntu1
    Candidate: 1.99-11ubuntu1
    Version table:
   *** 1.99-11ubuntu1 0
          500 http://tw.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ oneiric/main i386 Packages
          100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

  Prior setup is a Natty Install on /dev/sda5, with grub2 installed on
  that same partition, as laptop has a Windows installation in
  /dev/sda2, and the Windows boot manager is used as the main,
  chainloading to grub when Ubuntu is desired.

  Upgrade to Oneiric Beta 1 seems to have a grub2 that does not allow
  itself being installed in /dev/sda5, as seen in /var/log/dist-upgrade
  /apt-term.log...

  /usr/sbin/grub-setup: warn: Attempting to install GRUB to a partitionless disk or to a partition.  This is a BAD idea..
  /usr/sbin/grub-setup: warn: Embedding is not possible.  GRUB can only be installed in this setup by using blocklists.  However, blocklists are UNRELIABLE and their use is discouraged..
  /usr/sbin/grub-setup: error: will not proceed with blocklists.

  ...first reboot after upgrade left the Windows boot manager intact,
  but choosing to boot Ubuntu with it leads to a blank screen, meaning
  there's no grub2 in /dev/sda5; I find it odd that the upgrade removed
  it.

  Workaround was to boot with a rescue CD (e.g. Natty live CD) and
  chroot to /dev/sda5 to do `grub-install /dev/sda'; while this works
  now, this may be undesirable for those using non-Linux boot loaders as
  their primary boot manager.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.10
  Package: grub-pc 1.99-11ubuntu1
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.0.0-9.15-generic 3.0.3
  Uname: Linux 3.0.0-9-generic i686
  NonfreeKernelModules: wl fglrx
  Architecture: i386
  Date: Fri Sep  2 01:40:44 2011
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" - Release i386 (20110427.1)
  ProcEnviron:
   LANGUAGE=en_PH:en
   PATH=(custom, user)
   LANG=en_PH.UTF-8
   SHELL=/bin/bash
  SourcePackage: grub2
  UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to oneiric on 2011-09-01 (0 days ago)

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