Grub2 fails to install to the MBR of /dev/sdb

[Greg Woods]

On Fri, 2012-01-13 at 16:43 -0500, Lester M Petrie wrote:

> Number  Start   End     Size    Type      File system     Flags
>   3      32.3kB  526MB   526MB   primary   ext4            boot

Doesn't prove I'm right, but it's another data point. My laptop that
doesn't allow me to update grub2 configuration also has a start at
32.3kB like yours. The workstation that works starts at 1049kB.
Hopefully someone can confirm that my theory (that more room at the
beginning of the disk prior to the start of the first partition) is
needed in order for grub2-install to work or grub2-mkconfig to have any
effect) before I go through all the work of dumping, repartitioning, and
restoring.

--Greg