App. cannot open Linux audio port?

["db" <dbota att net>]

I am just installed and configured RedHat 5.2 in order to run Entropics
Waves a deadended legacy app..  When I launch Waves and try to play a sound
file from its GUI interface "Cannot open Linux audio port" appears in the
background terminal window.

Can anyone tell me what's possibly wrong or what I should do to
troubleshoot/fix this error and get the file to play?  It seems I haven't
fully configured the sound card or perhaps configured the app.?

(the computer is a PIII 450 currently with a Creative SB16 Value PnP OEM
(Mod # CT2940).  When I swapped this older sound card in to replace the
computer's original SB PCI 128, (which locked the machine up whenever I
attempted to play a similar sound file with the same app.), I ran sndconfig
and then the test sound file and successfully got sound out of the speakers
at that point....)

(Please don't tell me to upgrade my linux and run compat-libs as an overall
solution.  It's been tried unsuccessfully with this app.)