[Solved] Can't get my bootloader installed

So this is my first time installing Arch since they removed the installer. Got so frustrated I tried using my old installer disc...several times, but no luck there either, seems the kernel is too old and trying to update it first gets into REALLY nasty dependancy issues.
Anyway, I keep getting to the bootloader installation, but can't get passed that. I'm following the instruction from the Grub wiki page:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GRUB#Installation
I was originally going to use syslinux, but when looking into the differences I read some posts that SEEMED to imply that syslinux won't work for encrypted drives -- something about it not being able to boot a partition it isn't installed to, which doesn't seem right...but Grub seemed to have better instructions for encrypted discs anyway so I stuck with that. This is for my monsterous desktop which I'm making a dual boot, Windows on sda1, /boot on sda2, encrypted / on sda4, and encrypted /home on sda5. The encrypted partitions using LUKS and dm_crypt.
So, first I tried installing Grub to the MBR, because I've never heard of this GPT BIOS partition, but it gave the following error:
sh-4.2# modprobe dm-mod
sh-4.2# grub-install --recheck /dev/sda
/usr/bin/grub-bios/setup: warning: your embedding area is unusally small. core.img won't fit in it..
/usr/bin/grub-bios/setup: 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..
/usr/bin/grub-bios/setup: error: will not proceed with blocklists.
Then I tried the instructions to install to the GPT partition, and got this:
sh-4.2# parted /dev/sda set 3 bios_grub on
parted: invalid token: bios_grub
Flag to Invert? boot/raid/lvm/lba/palo/prep/diag?
When I tried putting that last error into Google, the best answer I've found is 'don't use parted'...which would be fine if I knew enough about the boot sequence to know what I need to do with a different tool, but I don't. Maybe I should switch to an easier distro...but I've already got Arch on three other computers and I quite like it. Anyone know what's going on here?
Also, feel free to throw in any additional advice/warnings you may have regarding setting up encrypted drives...feels like there's some seams between the encrypted drive wiki page and the general installation one. I think I've got it handled, but who knows yet....
Last edited by urza9814 (2013-05-31 12:26:20)

Oh wow. If I had known syslinux would be so easy to install and configure I would have tried that before posting this! Worked perfectly on the first shot, thanks for the advice.

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