#664718 grub-pc 1.99-18: grub-setup: error: cannot read `/grub/core.img' correctly

Package:
grub-pc
Source:
grub2
Description:
GRand Unified Bootloader, version 2 (PC/BIOS version)
Submitter:
Jakub Moc
Date:
2014-12-01 23:48:15 UTC
Severity:
important
#664718#5
Date:
2012-03-20 08:24:39 UTC
From:
To:
/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: cannot read `/grub/core.img' correctly.

This renders the box unbootable. Fixed by downgrading to 1.99-17:

Nastavuji balík grub-common (1.99-17) …
Nastavuji balík grub2-common (1.99-17) …
Nastavuji balík grub-pc-bin (1.99-17) …
Nastavuji balík grub-pc (1.99-17) …
/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..
Installation finished. No error reported.
#664718#10
Date:
2012-04-04 06:49:19 UTC
From:
To:
The above error about inability to read core.img got replaced with
"error: non-sector-aligned data is found in the core file" somewhere
between 1.99-19 and 1.99-20 (which got fixed 1.99-21 - #666992) so
this I guess may be closed).

(For people hitting the same, I could work around it by reformatting
/boot to ext3 on *some* of the affected systems. NFC. Running
grub-setup with --debug showed that it really was unable to find the
file, would suggest some cryptic bug in ext2.mod. Systems with grub
installed to MBR were unaffected, however that is not really an option
for everyone, e.g. cannot be used on dual-boot boxes using
Bitlocker-encrypted Vista/W7 system partition.)
#664718#15
Date:
2012-04-05 08:49:06 UTC
From:
To:
The fix in 1.99-21 was just to fix the regression in 1.99-19.  Did it
really fix this bug as well?  I wasn't expecting it to.
#664718#20
Date:
2012-04-17 11:17:39 UTC
From:
To:
This is still happening with version 1.99-21 which recently hit testing.
After the upgrade the system can no longer boot and I'm unable to
install grub on the MBR.
#664718#25
Date:
2014-12-01 22:56:01 UTC
From:
To:
I have the same issue when /boot is a separate ext2 partition. If I change it to ext4, grub-install will succeed.

Package: grub-pc
Architecture: amd64
Version: 1.99-27+deb7u2
#664718#30
Date:
2014-12-01 22:55:01 UTC
From:
To:
I have the same issue when /boot is a separate ext2 partition. If I change it to ext4, grub-install will succeed.

Package: grub-pc
Architecture: amd64
Version: 1.99-27+deb7u2