fedora 31: grub2-install: warning: File system `ext2' doesn't support embedding.

Hi,

I changed from linode kernel to using grub2 [1]. Following these instructions [2]. I've used grub in the past, but had to fall back to linode kernel to recover a grub issue re BLS. I'm trying to go back to grub2, so I can boot the fedora 31 supplied kernel (custom later.)

I am trying to run grub2-install /dev/sda and get the error in $subject. Specifically:

$ sudo grub2-install /dev/sda 
Installing for i386-pc platform.
grub2-install: warning: File system `ext2' doesn't support embedding.
grub2-install: 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..
grub2-install: error: will not proceed with blocklists.
$ 

Should I ignore? Do I need to use --force?

Debugging, I noticed other things that look strange:

$ sudo fdisk -l /dev/sda 
Disk /dev/sda: 79.77 GiB, 85635104768 bytes, 167256064 sectors
Disk model: QEMU HARDDISK   
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
$ 

I don't see any partitions

$ sudo gdisk -l /dev/sda 
GPT fdisk (gdisk) version 1.0.5

Partition table scan:
  MBR: not present
  BSD: not present
  APM: not present
  GPT: not present

Creating new GPT entries in memory.
Disk /dev/sda: 167256064 sectors, 79.8 GiB
Model: QEMU HARDDISK   
Sector size (logical/physical): 512/512 bytes
Disk identifier (GUID): 3FF8BC10-5A44-4BCD-8696-7282ABED16A6
Partition table holds up to 128 entries
Main partition table begins at sector 2 and ends at sector 33
First usable sector is 34, last usable sector is 167256030
Partitions will be aligned on 2048-sector boundaries
Total free space is 167255997 sectors (79.8 GiB)

Number  Start (sector)    End (sector)  Size       Code  Name
$ 

When I saw MBR: not present I thought I should get a linode set of eyes.

$ sudo lsblk 
NAME                    MAJ:MIN RM  SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT
loop0                     7:0    0  100G  0 loop 
└─docker-8:0-54649-pool 253:0    0  100G  0 dm   
loop1                     7:1    0    2G  0 loop 
└─docker-8:0-54649-pool 253:0    0  100G  0 dm   
sda                       8:0    0 79.8G  0 disk /
sdb                       8:16   0  260M  0 disk [SWAP]
$ 

I need to get things right on this specific node. The node has been around since fedora 19, upgrading on version at a time.

[1] Due to /etc/default/grub BLS issue, I needed to boot linode kernel to recover

[2] https://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/fedora/rawhide/system-administrators-guide/kernel-module-driver-configuration/Working_with_the_GRUB_2_Boot_Loader/#sec-grub2-reinstall_on_BIOS-Based_Machines