Zfs: Cannot install grub bootloader on ubuntu

[schmurfy]

System information

Type | Version/Name
--- | ---
Distribution Name | Ubuntu
Distribution Version | 16.04
Linux Kernel | 4.4.0-116-generic
Architecture | x86-64
ZFS Version | 0.6.5.6-0ubuntu16
SPL Version | 0.6.5.6-0ubuntu4

Describe the problem you're observing

When following the zfs install guide for ubuntu 16.04 I cannot get past the bootloader install, when running grub-install /dev/disk/by-id/scsi-<DISKID> I get:

Installing for i386-pc platform.
grub-install: warning: this GPT partition label contains no BIOS Boot Partition; embedding won't be possible.
grub-install: error: filesystem `zfs' doesn't support blocklists.

I am not sure why I get the embedding warning since I am trying to install the bootloader on the whole disk and I have no idea why the second error means.
I already have an ubuntu-16.04 installed but I am trying to prepare a second empty disk for zfs so I followed this guide https://github.com/zfsonlinux/zfs/wiki/Ubuntu-16.04-Root-on-ZFS from step 2.

Here is my disk layout:

NAME                    MAJ:MIN RM   SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT
sda                       8:0    1 931.5G  0 disk
├─sda1                    8:1    1   243M  0 part
├─sda2                    8:2    1     1K  0 part
└─sda5                    8:5    1 931.3G  0 part
  ├─VMHost17--vg-root   252:0    0 899.6G  0 lvm
  └─VMHost17--vg-swap_1 252:1    0  31.7G  0 lvm  [SWAP]
sdb                       8:16   1 931.5G  0 disk
├─sdb1                    8:17   1 931.5G  0 part
└─sdb9                    8:25   1     8M  0 part
sr0                      11:0    1  1024M  0 rom

I am not sure that's a bug but since I followed the guide here on a fresh ubuntu-16.04 opening an issue seems reasonnable.

This is really driving me crazy, getting a working linux install on zfs should be easier than that :/

Ps: I am trying to install with zfs on sdb

[ryao]

For those who have this problem, just do sgdisk --new=2:48:2047 --typecode=2:EF02 --change-name=2:"BIOS boot partition" ${BLOCK_DEV} to make a BIOS Boot Partition. It will make GRUB2 happy.

[pjgoodall]

For those who have this problem, just do sgdisk --new=2:48:2047 --typecode=2:EF02 --change-name=2:"BIOS boot partition" ${BLOCK_DEV} to make a BIOS Boot Partition. It will make GRUB2 happy.

I had this problem when working with Ubuntu 18.04.1 LTS in section 5.5a For legacy (MBR) booting, install GRUB to the MBR.
Why not include in the documents?

[rlaager]

@pjgoodall Adding a BIOS boot partition has been in the instructions since basically forever.