new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/audio/playaudio.m
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+function playaudio (name, ext)
+  
+# usage: playaudio (name [, ext]) 
+#        playaudio (X)
+#
+# `playaudio ("name" [, "ext"])' plays the audio file "name.ext". The
+# default value for the "ext" argument, which has to be written
+# without the initial ".", is "lin".
+# Currently, the following audio formats are suppored:
+# *) linear encoding with extension "lin" or "raw", played using
+#    /dev/dsp 
+# *) mu-law encoding with extension "mu", "au" or "snd", played
+#    using /dev/audio 
+#
+# `playaudio (X)' plays the audio data contained in the vector X.
+
+# Written by AW (Andreas.Weingessel@ci.tuwien.ac.at) on Apr 11, 1994
+# Last modified by AW on Nov 7, 1994
+# Copyright Dept of Probability Theory and Statistics TU Wien
+
+  file = octave_tmp_file_name ();
+
+  usage_msg = "playaudio (name [, ext])  or  playaudio (X)";
+  
+  if (nargin == 1 && is_vector (name) && ! isstr (name)) 
+    # play a vector
+    [nr, nc] = size (name);
+    if (nc != 1)
+      if (nr == 1)
+	name = name';
+	nr = nc;
+      else
+	error ("playaudio: X must be a vector");
+      endif
+    endif
+    X = name + 127;
+    num = fopen (file, "w");
+    c = fwrite (num, X, "uchar");
+    fclose (num);
+    system (sprintf ("cat %s > /dev/dsp", file));
+    unlink (file);
+  elseif (nargin >= 1 && isstr (name))
+    # play a file
+    if (nargin == 1)
+      name = [name, ".lin"];
+    elseif (nargin == 2)
+      name = [name, ".", ext];
+    else
+      usage (usage_msg);
+    endif
+    if (strcmp (ext, "lin") || strcmp (ext, "raw"))
+      system (sprintf ("cat %s > /dev/dsp", name));
+    elseif (strcmp (ext, "mu") || strcmp (ext, "au") || strcmp (ext, "snd"))
+      system (sprintf ("cat %s > /dev/audio", name));
+    else
+      error ("playaudio does not support given extension");
+    endif
+  else
+    usage (usage_msg);
+  endif
+
+endfunction