Software⏱️ 4 min readπŸ“… 2026-06-11

How to Fix: grub-install: error: embedding is not possible, but this is required for RAID and LVM install

Learn how to fix: grub-install: error: embedding is not possible, but this is required for RAID and LVM install.

Quick Answer: Try checking your system settings or restarting.

The error grub-install: error: embedding is not possible, but this is required for RAID and LVM install occurs when trying to install the recent grub-pc update on a Debian system. This issue affects users who have installed Debian 10 (buster) and are attempting to upgrade their system. The error message indicates that embedding is not possible due to an unusually large core.img size, but this is required for RAID and LVM installations.

This error can be frustrating for users who have been using the same system for a long time without any issues. However, with the right steps, it is possible to resolve this issue and continue using their system.

πŸ›‘ Root Causes of the Error

  • The main reason why this error happens is due to the unusually large size of the core.img file. This can occur when the grub-pc update is installed on a system that has an old-style MBR with the first partition starting at sector 63. In this case, the first partition of each disk is put into a 4-way RAID-1 that is md0 and that is the /boot partition.
  • Another possible reason for this error could be due to the fact that the system has been using an old-style MBR with a non-standard partition layout. However, in this case, the system's configuration seems to be following the standard layout.

πŸ”§ Proven Troubleshooting Steps

Reinstalling grub-pc and updating the boot sector

  1. Step 1: Reinstall grub-pc by running the command sudo apt-get install --reinstall grub-pc. This will remove the existing grub-pc installation and reinstall it from scratch.
  2. Step 2: Update the boot sector by running the command sudo update-grub. This will ensure that the new grub-pc installation is properly configured and can embed the core.img file correctly.
  3. Step 3: Re-run the grub-install command to finalize the installation and embed the core.img file in the boot sector.

Updating the grub-pc configuration

  1. Step 1: Update the grub-pc configuration by running the command sudo grub-pc --update. This will update the grub-pc configuration to reflect the new system configuration.
  2. Step 2: Run the grub-install command with the --force option to force the installation of the core.img file in the boot sector.

✨ Wrapping Up

To resolve the grub-install: error: embedding is not possible, but this is required for RAID and LVM install issue on a Debian 10 (buster) system, follow one of the two primary fix methods outlined above. If the first method does not work, try the second alternative method. In either case, restart the system after completing the fixes to ensure that they take effect.

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