8
I installed another copy of XOOPS (which worked fine) and found this path:
http://mysitename/modules/system/admin.php?fct=groupsWith this info in hand, I plugged in the real site and opened the groups form.
(It's probably important to be logged into your site before you do this).
I chose webmasters and checked every possible box. Then clicked "update group".
Problem is solved.
The root problem in my case is a bug. When you open group "webmasters" it does not initially show accurate permissions for " Sytem Admin Rights". None of the modules are checked--even though you do have admin rights to them. Then, when you change some little thing about this group and click "update group" you end up denying yourself admin rights to all the modules that aren't checked (all of them).
If the form was accurate when you first opened it, you would have to work hard to create this problem. Also, there really should be no way the master user can lock himself out of accesing the admin menu unless he fools aroung with the code.
Brian