[Bug 1051154] Re: [quantal] warning: your embedding area is unusually small. core.img won't fit in it.

[Nick Semenkovich]

If it helps:

$ sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders, total 976773168 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 identifier: 0xe6d4e6d4

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1              63   976768064   488384001   fd  Linux raid autodetect

Disk /dev/sdb: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders, total 976773168 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 identifier: 0xe6d4e6d4

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1   *          63   976768064   488384001   fd  Linux raid autodetect

Disk /dev/md0: 500.1 GB, 500105150464 bytes
2 heads, 4 sectors/track, 122095984 cylinders, total 976767872 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 identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/md0 doesn't contain a valid partition table


$ sudo update-grub
Generating grub.cfg ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-3.5.0-14-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-3.5.0-14-generic
Found memtest86+ image: /boot/memtest86+.bin
  No volume groups found
Found Ubuntu quantal (development branch) (12.10) on /dev/sda1
Found Ubuntu quantal (development branch) (12.10) on /dev/sdb1
done


$ sudo grub-install --force --no-floppy /dev/sda
/usr/sbin/grub-bios-setup: warning: your embedding area is unusually small.  core.img won't fit in it..
/usr/sbin/grub-bios-setup: error: embedding is not possible, but this is required for RAID and LVM install.



Interestingly, update-grub seems to write a semi-incorrect file:

The chunk derived from: /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober

references a few kernels that no longer exist, e.g.
  menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 3.5.0-13-generic
  menuentry 'Ubuntu, with Linux 3.5.0-9-generic
etc.

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Title:
  [quantal] warning: your embedding area is unusually small. core.img
  won't fit in it.

Status in “grub2” package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  I've been running Quantal on a machine for a while now, and everything
  has been smooth.

  However, I just took the recent grub2 & kernel updates which seemed to break grub2:
  * grub-pc-bin:amd64 (1.99-22ubuntu2, 2.00-4ubuntu1)
  * linux-image-3.5.0-14-generic:amd64 (3.5.0-14.16, 3.5.0-14.19)

  Grub2 now complains:

  /usr/sbin/grub-bios-setup: warning: your embedding area is unusually small.  core.img won't fit in it..
  /usr/sbin/grub-bios-setup: error: embedding is not possible, but this is required for RAID and LVM install.
  /usr/sbin/grub-bios-setup: warning: your embedding area is unusually small.  core.img won't fit in it..
  /usr/sbin/grub-bios-setup: error: embedding is not possible, but this is required for RAID and LVM install.

  
  Are there any workarounds for this?

  
  This is a very simple install, just md RAID1, with one dumb partition, no LVM.

  $ sudo parted /dev/sda
  GNU Parted 2.3
  Using /dev/sda
  Welcome to GNU Parted! Type 'help' to view a list of commands.
  (parted) print                                                            
  Model: ATA HDS725050KLA360 (scsi)
  Disk /dev/sda: 500GB
  Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
  Partition Table: msdos

  Number  Start   End    Size   Type     File system  Flags
   1      32.3kB  500GB  500GB  primary  ext4         raid


  $ sudo parted /dev/sdb
  GNU Parted 2.3
  Using /dev/sdb
  Welcome to GNU Parted! Type 'help' to view a list of commands.
  (parted) print                                                            
  Model: ATA HDS725050KLA360 (scsi)
  Disk /dev/sdb: 500GB
  Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
  Partition Table: msdos

  Number  Start   End    Size   Type     File system  Flags
   1      32.3kB  500GB  500GB  primary  ext4         boot, raid


  $ uname -ar
  Linux machine-1 3.5.0-14-generic #16-Ubuntu SMP Mon Sep 10 21:57:14 UTC 2012 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 12.10
  Package: grub2 (not installed)
  ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.5.0-14.16-generic 3.5.3
  Uname: Linux 3.5.0-14-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.5.1-0ubuntu7
  Architecture: amd64
  Date: Fri Sep 14 23:38:19 2012
  ProcEnviron:
   TERM=xterm-256color
   PATH=(custom, no user)
   LANG=en_US.UTF-8
   SHELL=/bin/bash
  SourcePackage: grub2
  UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to quantal on 2012-03-05 (194 days ago)

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