Lost sound and video input - kubuntu 7.10

[Bruce Bales]

Hi, All,
About a month after converting from kubuntu Dapper to kubuntu 7.10, I lost all 
sound.  Apparently at about the same time, In addition, I was no longer able 
to access /dev/video0 for the tv video input.

I think the problem began about the time I tried to add my name to the geneweb 
group.  (That didn't work, but geneweb is working for me.)

The kmix box comes up empty.  
alsamixer returns: function snd_ctl_open failed for default: No such device
but sudo alsamixer brings up the mixer. 

alsaplayer installs a null plugin and no sound, but sudo alsaplayer works.

ls -l /usr/bin/alsamixer
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 39028 2007-09-03 21:52 /usr/bin/alsamixer

So alsamixer is executable by anyone, but not me, apparently.

mpg321 foo.mp3 gives ALSA lib confmisc.c:769:(parse_card) cannot find card ''

ls -l /usr/bin/mpg321
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 36888 2004-08-13 23:03 /usr/bin/mpg321

cat /dev/video0 >test.mpg
cat: /dev/video0: Permission denied
This does work if I put sudo in front of cat.  mplayer test.mpg then shows the 
picture without sound, but sudo mplayer shows it with sound.

ls -l /dev/video0
crw-rw---- 1 root video 81, 0 2008-01-10 11:29 /dev/video0

ls -l /dev/dsp
crw-rw---- 1 root audio 14, 3 2008-01-10 11:29 /dev/dsp

ls -l /dev/video0
crw-rw---- 1 root video 81, 0 2008-01-10 11:29 /dev/video0

Maybe there is some simple obvious solution to this, but I can't find it.  
Anyone have any ideas?
bruce