>> When I 'cat file.au > /dev/audio' it will work for a short while (a
>> file or two)  and then suddenly, on the beginning of a new file, it'll
>> enable the speaker (as evidenced by a 'click') and then promptly 
>> block.  The only recourse then is to reboot.
>
>Are you using a Soundblaster 16?  That's what I have.  Unfortunately, I 
>believe these cards are buggy (which sucks, since I paid about $219 when 
>they newly came out), and have had similar behavior when playing audio 
>files under Dos/Windows and such.  The problem becomes increasingly 
>apparent when playing long digitized speech or other digitized sounds.  
>This is why it doesn't act up when playing games and such, since sound 
>effects last for short periods of time.  I've had this problem ever since 
>I got the card, and don't know how to fix it.

Add me to the list.  A friend of mine uses his 16 and it works *perfectly*
yet my four-month-old one locks VERY shortly into the sound and the process
will not die.  It seems to go into some sort of device wait.

--Michael

--
Michael Graff                 <explorer@vorpal.com>
1304 Florida #3               (515) 296-2735
Ames, IA  50014           PGP key on a server near YOU!