Lost Sound Support Unexpectedly

[Dave M G]

Ubuntu Users,
	My system has two sound devices. The preferred device is a Kenwood
audio system connected via USB. The non-preferred device is an old Sound
Blaster audio card that came with the computer.

	When I installed Ubuntu, it detected the Kenwood audio device without
any hitches, and has worked perfectly for months.

	But earlier today, I lost sound support. There was no particular event
that struck me as being a cause. I first noticed the problem when I
attempted to play an MP3 in Amarok. After that it was apparent that any
and all programs that use sound would not work either.

	I confirmed cables and connections are okay. The Kenwood device still
works, as it plays CDs and the radio fine. The Sound Blaster card also
works.

	The implications, to me, are that somehow the driver has been
corrupted.

	However, I am unable to access any configuration tools or settings. The
only place in the GUI that had any settings for sound devices was in
System | Preferences | Sound. In that interface, it allows me to switch
between the two sound devices, but nothing else.

	Recently, I removed FireFox 1.0.7 and installed FireFox 1.0.5 directly
from Mozilla. I also uninstalled and re-installed MySQL. And I made a
small change to my /etc/fstab file to allow all users access to my FAT32
hard drive. Those are the only system things I have dealt with recently
enough to be possibly connected to the sound issue. I'm wondering if I
might have removed a dependancy or something.

	The hardware all seems to be working. Can anyone recommend how I might
diagnose the software settings?

	Any advice would be much appreciated.

--
Dave M G