On Thursday 27 Aug 2015 19:31:34 Fernando Rodriguez wrote: > On Thursday, August 27, 2015 2:23:56 PM Fernando Rodriguez wrote: > > On Thursday, August 27, 2015 8:49:13 AM Mike Gilbert wrote: > > > On Wed, Aug 26, 2015 at 6:27 PM, Michel Catudal <mcatu...@comcast.net> > > > > wrote: > > > > Le 2015-08-26 13:37, Fernando Rodriguez a écrit : > > > >> This may not be complete and some of these may be possible to some > > extent > > > > >> with > > > >> legacy grub: > > > >> > > > >> 1. Grub Legacy is 32-bit only, so you need 32-bit libraries or use > > grub- > > > > >> static. Grub2 is portable, even beyond Intel architectures. > > > >> 2. Grub2 has been rewritten to be modular. Instead of Grub's stages > > model > > > > >> it > > > >> uses a core image and a bunch of modules. > > > >> 3. EFI support without chainloading or other hacks. > > > >> 4. Better filesystem support. Including loopback devices. > > > >> 5. Graphics and theming support. > > > >> 6. Grub2's config file (the one it tells you not to edit manually) > > > >> is scriptable > > > >> using a shell-like script language. > > > >> 7. Password support for each entry. > > > > > > > > I've had serious problems in the past getting to to install on a > > partition > > > > > and gave up. Is that bug fixed? It insists on installing on the MBR > > > > which > > > > is > > > > > > unacceptable. > > > > > > It's not a bug, and it won't be "fixed". Installing on a partition is > > > simply not supported. > > > > I just got it to work with these steps: > > > > 1. Mount the partition to /mnt/usb > > 2. Run: > > > > #grub2-install --directory /usr/lib/grub/i386-pc --boot- > > directory=/mnt/usb/boot --force /dev/sdb2 > > Installing for i386-pc platform. > > grub2-install: warning: File system `ext2' doesn't support embedding. > > grub2-install: warning: Embedding is not possible. GRUB can only be > > installed > > > in this setup by using blocklists. However, blocklists are UNRELIABLE > > and their use is discouraged.. > > Installation finished. No error reported. > > > > 3. Set the partition as active with fdisk. > > > > And it booted. To verify that it didn't overwrite the mbr I overwrote it > > with > > > syslinux's mbr as follows: > > > > sudo dd conv=notrunc bs=440 count=1 if=/usr/share/syslinux/mbr.bin > > of=/dev/sdb > > > Still boots! > > It is a good idea to make all grub2 files in /boot immutable to avoid > problems.
You beat me to it. Yes GRUB2 can be installed on a partition instead of the MBR and yes it complains about it. However, it works regardless. I have done it a couple of times so far, just as you describe above. In my case I chainload GRUB2 with NTLDR or modern equivalent and this is how I know that the MBR was not being overwritten by it. -- Regards, Mick
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