Can you post the contents of /etc/default/grub :
gedit /etc/default/grub
and the contents of /boot/grub/grub.cfg
gedit /boot/grub/grub.cfg
gedit /etc/default/grub
If you change this file, run ‘update-grub’ afterwards to update
/boot/grub/grub.cfg.
For full documentation of the options in this file, see:
info -f grub -n ‘Simple configuration’
GRUB_DEFAULT=4
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=10
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
GRUB_TIMEOUT=10
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=“quiet splash”
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=" splash vga=769"
Uncomment to enable BadRAM filtering, modify to suit your needs
This works with Linux (no patch required) and with any kernel that obtains
the memory map information from GRUB (GNU Mach, kernel of FreeBSD …)
#GRUB_BADRAM=“0x01234567,0xfefefefe,0x89abcdef,0xefefefef”
Uncomment to disable graphical terminal (grub-pc only)
#GRUB_TERMINAL=console
The resolution used on graphical terminal
note that you can use only modes which your graphic card supports via VBE
you can see them in real GRUB with the command `vbeinfo’
GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480
Uncomment if you don’t want GRUB to pass “root=UUID=xxx” parameter to Linux
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID=true
Uncomment to disable generation of recovery mode menu entries
#GRUB_DISABLE_RECOVERY=“true”
Uncomment to get a beep at grub start
#GRUB_INIT_TUNE=“480 440 1”
gedit /boot/grub/grub.cfg
DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE
It is automatically generated by grub-mkconfig using templates
from /etc/grub.d and settings from /etc/default/grub
BEGIN /etc/grub.d/00_header
if [ -s $prefix/grubenv ]; then
set have_grubenv=true
load_env
fi
set default=“4”
if [ “${prev_saved_entry}” ]; then
set saved_entry=“${prev_saved_entry}”
save_env saved_entry
set prev_saved_entry=
save_env prev_saved_entry
set boot_once=true
fi
function savedefault {
if [ -z “${boot_once}” ]; then
saved_entry=“${chosen}”
save_env saved_entry
fi
}
function recordfail {
set recordfail=1
if [ -n “${have_grubenv}” ]; then if [ -z “${boot_once}” ]; then save_env recordfail; fi; fi
}
function load_video {
insmod vbe
insmod vga
insmod video_bochs
insmod video_cirrus
}
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root=‘(hd0,msdos1)’
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 3b28398c-1cae-4514-91f9-f47f2f08f794
if loadfont /usr/share/grub/unicode.pf2 ; then
set gfxmode=640x480
load_video
insmod gfxterm
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root=‘(hd0,msdos1)’
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 3b28398c-1cae-4514-91f9-f47f2f08f794
set locale_dir=($root)/boot/grub/locale
set lang=en_GB
insmod gettext
fi
terminal_output gfxterm
if [ “${recordfail}” = 1 ]; then
set timeout=-1
else
set timeout=10
fi
END /etc/grub.d/00_header
BEGIN /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme
set menu_color_normal=white/black
set menu_color_highlight=black/light-gray
END /etc/grub.d/05_debian_theme
BEGIN /etc/grub.d/10_linux
if [ ${recordfail} != 1 ]; then
if [ -e ${prefix}/gfxblacklist.txt ]; then
if hwmatch ${prefix}/gfxblacklist.txt 3; then
if [ ${match} = 0 ]; then
set linux_gfx_mode=keep
else
set linux_gfx_mode=text
fi
else
set linux_gfx_mode=text
fi
else
set linux_gfx_mode=keep
fi
else
set linux_gfx_mode=text
fi
export linux_gfx_mode
if [ “$linux_gfx_mode” != “text” ]; then load_video; fi
menuentry ‘Ubuntu, with Linux 3.1.0-0301rc4-generic’ --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
set gfxpayload=$linux_gfx_mode
insmod gzio
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root=‘(hd0,msdos1)’
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 3b28398c-1cae-4514-91f9-f47f2f08f794
linux /boot/vmlinuz-3.1.0-0301rc4-generic root=UUID=3b28398c-1cae-4514-91f9-f47f2f08f794 ro splash vga=769 quiet splash vt.handoff=7
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.1.0-0301rc4-generic
}
menuentry ‘Ubuntu, with Linux 3.1.0-0301rc4-generic (recovery mode)’ --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod gzio
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root=‘(hd0,msdos1)’
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 3b28398c-1cae-4514-91f9-f47f2f08f794
echo ‘Loading Linux 3.1.0-0301rc4-generic …’
linux /boot/vmlinuz-3.1.0-0301rc4-generic root=UUID=3b28398c-1cae-4514-91f9-f47f2f08f794 ro recovery nomodeset splash vga=769
echo ‘Loading initial ramdisk …’
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.1.0-0301rc4-generic
}
submenu “Previous Linux versions” {
menuentry ‘Ubuntu, with Linux 3.0.0-12-generic’ --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
set gfxpayload=$linux_gfx_mode
insmod gzio
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root=‘(hd0,msdos1)’
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 3b28398c-1cae-4514-91f9-f47f2f08f794
linux /boot/vmlinuz-3.0.0-12-generic root=UUID=3b28398c-1cae-4514-91f9-f47f2f08f794 ro splash vga=769 quiet splash vt.handoff=7
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.0.0-12-generic
}
menuentry ‘Ubuntu, with Linux 3.0.0-12-generic (recovery mode)’ --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod gzio
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root=‘(hd0,msdos1)’
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 3b28398c-1cae-4514-91f9-f47f2f08f794
echo ‘Loading Linux 3.0.0-12-generic …’
linux /boot/vmlinuz-3.0.0-12-generic root=UUID=3b28398c-1cae-4514-91f9-f47f2f08f794 ro recovery nomodeset splash vga=769
echo ‘Loading initial ramdisk …’
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.0.0-12-generic
}
menuentry ‘Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.38-11-generic’ --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
set gfxpayload=$linux_gfx_mode
insmod gzio
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root=‘(hd0,msdos1)’
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 3b28398c-1cae-4514-91f9-f47f2f08f794
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-11-generic root=UUID=3b28398c-1cae-4514-91f9-f47f2f08f794 ro splash vga=769 quiet splash vt.handoff=7
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.38-11-generic
}
menuentry ‘Ubuntu, with Linux 2.6.38-11-generic (recovery mode)’ --class ubuntu --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os {
recordfail
insmod gzio
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root=‘(hd0,msdos1)’
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 3b28398c-1cae-4514-91f9-f47f2f08f794
echo ‘Loading Linux 2.6.38-11-generic …’
linux /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.38-11-generic root=UUID=3b28398c-1cae-4514-91f9-f47f2f08f794 ro recovery nomodeset splash vga=769
echo ‘Loading initial ramdisk …’
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.38-11-generic
}
}
END /etc/grub.d/10_linux
BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen
END /etc/grub.d/20_linux_xen
BEGIN /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+
menuentry “Memory test (memtest86+)” {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root=‘(hd0,msdos1)’
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 3b28398c-1cae-4514-91f9-f47f2f08f794
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin
}
menuentry “Memory test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)” {
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root=‘(hd0,msdos1)’
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 3b28398c-1cae-4514-91f9-f47f2f08f794
linux16 /boot/memtest86+.bin console=ttyS0,115200n8
}
END /etc/grub.d/20_memtest86+
BEGIN /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober
if [ “x${timeout}” != “x-1” ]; then
if sleep --interruptible 10 ; then
set timeout=0
fi
fi
END /etc/grub.d/30_os-prober
BEGIN /etc/grub.d/40_custom
This file provides an easy way to add custom menu entries. Simply type the
menu entries you want to add after this comment. Be careful not to change
the ‘exec tail’ line above.
END /etc/grub.d/40_custom
BEGIN /etc/grub.d/41_custom
if [ -f $prefix/custom.cfg ]; then
source $prefix/custom.cfg;
fi
END /etc/grub.d/41_custom
OK, my young padawan…
Firstly get rid of startupmanager … it doesn’t work with GRUB 1.99 and its new “submenu” structure … this is probably what made GRUB go insane in the first place 
Secondly read this to understand how the:-
GRUB_DEFAULT=
structure has changed for GRUB 1.99 and its new submenu:
OK, now the fix…
First, make a backup of /boot/grub/grub.cfg
sudo cp -v /boot/grub/grub.cfg /boot/grub/grub.cfg.bak
Now open /etc/default/grub for editing:
gksudo gedit /etc/default/grub
Find the line that reads:-
GRUB_DEFAULT=4
and change it to read:-
GRUB_DEFAULT=“2>0”
(including the quotation marks)
SAVE the file, and exit gedit.
Back in the terminal, run:
sudo update-grub
Reboot and test … remember, if anything goes wrong you can still hit the Shift key (at boot) to display the GRUB menu, then select the kernel to boot manually.
Another way would be to uninstall the 3.1.0-0301rc4 kernel which should move 3.0.0-12 out of the submenu,
then set GRUB_DEFAULT=0 and run sudo update-grub
ok i think im gonna go with the removing un-needed kernels option… keep my system as clean as possible, afterall its a knackered old laptop that is only able to live since xubuntu was loaded on and believe me… that REALLY took some doing, it DID NOT want to play ball!!
here is the readout from dpkg --list ‘linux-image*’
Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
| Status=Not/Inst/Conf-files/Unpacked/halF-conf/Half-inst/trig-aWait/Trig-pend
|/ Err?=(none)/Reinst-required (Status,Err: uppercase=bad)
||/ Name Version Description
++±==============-==============-============================================
un linux-image (no description available)
un linux-image-2. (no description available)
ii linux-image-2. 2.6.38-11.50 Linux kernel image for version 2.6.38 on x86
rc linux-image-2. 2.6.38-12.51 Linux kernel image for version 2.6.38 on x86
rc linux-image-2. 2.6.38-8.42 Linux kernel image for version 2.6.38 on x86
un linux-image-3. (no description available)
ii linux-image-3. 3.0.0-12.20 Linux kernel image for version 3.0.0 on x86/
ii linux-image-3. 3.1.0-0301rc4. Linux kernel image for version 3.1.0 on x86/
ii linux-image-ge 3.0.0.12.14 Generic Linux kernel image
now i know i want to keep 3.0.0-12… but which one? .14 or .20?
thanks for this by the way Yoda
NEITHER … this is the one you want to get rid of:-
ii linux-image-3. 3.1.0-0301rc4. Linux kernel image for version 3.1.0 on x86/
That’s only going to save you about 2mb or less … kernels aren’t very large.
Cool, ive done it all… 1 fully working system… for now, lets se what else i can screw up, of course theres always the older issue of my desktop PC. I cant figure out why the onboard lan would just die suddenly like that…
i mean posting outputs is fine, if it just wasnt working when linux is booted, but if i bot from a usb key or cd, and then go to the install ubuntu again, at the screen where you get the 3 point checklist like connected to a power source blah blah, the third checklist item which is “conected to internet” is not giving the gren light, i have a BIG red light which is telling me… im not conected to the internet…
thing is, the onboard LAN is turned on in the bios… I seem to remember when i last used the PC when i plugged in my wifes Nokia phone, a breif error message came up which i only got a quick look at before it faded out and all i could make out was something something icompatible, disbling network service.
I have not been able to recreate the error but sice it happened eth0 is no longer active and the only networking service that is live on my machine is “lo”… so as far as i can tell, something powerul and evil, possibly the darkside itself has fubar’d my onboard network card!!
Have you tried booting from a LiveCD, and checked if the LAN port works in that ?
If it does, at least we know it works … so MUST be a software issue.
yep, tried booting from a live cd, no internet access… its like whever the error was has turned off the onboard LAN… the amber and green lights arent even coming on when the rj45 is inserted… but it IS turned on in BIOS… My X-Wing is grounded… i think i should stop with the geekness, im already a Linux user i dont need to go overboard lol
Is this a laptop ? … if so can you post the make model.
Though it sounds like it may have killed the ethernet adapter.
no not a laptop, the work we have been doing to get the RT5370 working was the laptop, this ethernet issue is with my tower pc…
I’d just get another card then … specially if it won’t work from a LiveCD
Ahhhh nuts… i was hoping that wasnt going to be the answer lol, thanks for all the help Yoda… im sure ill be back at some point lol.
Yup, as I said if the card isn’t being recongised from a LiveUSB and it used to be … then it MUST be a hardware fault … it cannot be a software issue as a LiveCD cannot be changed.
I suppose you could check if your BIOS has a reset configuration data or clear DMI pool data option, or similar.
or try a BIOS reset.
Just in case it is a hardware conflict… but I don’t like advising those unless you understand the BIOS’s job and its settings.
But My guess would be a dead network adapter.
You’re welcome back any time 
Hi Yoda, me again… well its been several weeks since my last confession… but now i have quite an annoying issue with the RT5370… I keep losing the connection, now i have already tried resetting the router when it happens and it doesnt seem to be an issue with the router.
The issue seems to be system based.
ok im running Xubuntu 11.10 with all the latest updates… When i boot my laptop and get a fresh desktop i am presented with the wifi symbo at the top, you know the radar style icon. after a seemingly random amount of time i lose this icon and i go back to the standard two way arrow icon, but its not illuminated, it fully greyed out. i click this icon and it basically shows no available connections and the ony way i can get the wifi oaded again is to reboot, its like the system is losing the dongle.
WTF is going on?
Did you install any drivers for the card … or did it automatically get installed ?
When the card is working … can you send the output from
lsmod | grep rt
and immediately after it disconnects, can you run:
dmesg | tail -n 25
and post the output.
Hi
I got a strange problem with rt5370sta, after compiling & installing I can connect fine and browse websites with wicd manager using default options. What is strange is that after some minutes the connection drop ! So I always need to reconnect back and so one each couple of minutes I get disconnected. Has someone experienced the seem thing ?
I also used to get this problem of wi-fi drooping out, it maybe a wireless issue have you tried moving the adaptor/computer to another location.
What signal strength are you getting when connected?
In the end I gave up with wi-fi and now use wired via the house electric wiring and never looked back.
I stumbled across this thread when desperately searching for how to set up my USB wireless adapter in xubuntu. After hours of frustration scouring the internet for answers that just gave me more questions and left me increasingly confused, the post earlier by Mark Greaves (Reply #18) cleared up the issue in the space of two minutes.
You have my thanks! And I hope that anyone else suffering wireless USB problems (of which there seem to be many, from the impression I get from google) also discover this thread before giving up on xubuntu.
Spread the word, the more people that know about this thread the less frustration people will get into. We’re always happy to help.