I use a similar setup at home (gpt/grub2 -> mdraid-> lvm2). Since I use GPT the booting is different, but I believe the first 1ehm-eye-bee is skipped -- I install the BIOS-GPT piece of grub2 to both disks in my RAID.
AFAIK, most tools/schemes/standards following BIOS+MBR simply avoid that area entirely. C Anthony On Dec 23, 2011 12:25 PM, "Dieter Plaetinck" <[email protected]> wrote: > On Fri, 16 Dec 2011 13:14:49 +0100 > Dieter Plaetinck <[email protected]> wrote: > > > On Fri, 16 Dec 2011 09:34:57 +0000 > > Eric Fernandez <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > 2011/12/16 Matthew Gyurgyik <[email protected]>: > > > > > > > > I agree with Thomas. > > > > > > > > 1.) There are better alternatives to installing grub on a > > > > partition (see Thomas' mail). > > > > > > > > 3.) Don't use grub-legacy (not supported upstream or maintained). > > > > Use syslinux (installer) or grub2 (manually). > > > > > > > > > > I appreciate these comments and gather syslinux might be a better > > > solution than grub, and will look into it. > > > > > > However, I would like to point out that grub (legacy) is still the > > > recommended bootloader solution in the beginner's guide, and in the > > > installer isos. Furthermore, grub legacy is the one in core, whereas > > > grub2 is in extra. I think that it is prematurate to cripple the > > > installation of a bootloader just because it is not maintained > > > upstream, until we have a better replacement. If really grub legacy > > > is bad, then we should phase it out and replace it with a better > > > one, which should be the new default. Why not replace grub legacy > > > with grub2 in the core repository and in the installer? > > > > > > > Installing grub to a partition is an uncommon setup and used by > > > > few users, Those who really want to install grub to a partition > > > > can do so manually. > > > > > > Well, that is against the KISS principle. The fact it is uncommon is > > > irrelevant for a distro like Arch, which is not suppose to hide > > > options for their own good (especially when users report having used > > > the partition installation with no problem). > > > > > > Eric > > > > my toughts: > > 1) general rule: don't prevent users from doing dumb things, it also > > prevents doing them from smart things. it's not our job to impose > > methods or configurations on users (although we can and should make > > recommendations) AIF is an "enabler", it should enable users to set > > up their system how they want it. So even if we are aware that > > installing grub in partitions can sometimes give issues, that's not a > > reason to make it extra hard for the user to do it, because > > apparently it does work for some people. We should just put a > > recommendation in the selection menu to prefer the device itself > > instead of a partition, and that the grub install might fail if you > > do it in a partition. 2) saying "if you want this, do it manually" > > defeats the point. 3) I understand Thomas' points, but in reality, I > > agree that having multiple bootloaders (i.e. one in mbr, one in > > partition), can make it easier to deal with distro's that happily > > auto-rewrite bootloader or bootloader configs. 4) I disagree with the > > "Listing all the block devices and partitions becomes hard to read." > > argument. Anyone who wants to install Arch should be at the very > > least mentally capable to deal with such a list. > > > > > > Dieter > > okay so i'll change aif again so that you can install grub on a partition, > though with a note that we don't recommend it. > > Btw, does anyone know if you can install grub on a blockdevice (full > disk/partition/DM device) which is part of an lvm/softraid setup? > > Dieter >
