My sound card is onboard VIA Technologies IVT 8233. Model 867 AS. VIA KT8266 Chipset
This is writen after many searches for the ALSA cure or how to make alsa work.
It is written for anyone who like me is a Linux Newbie
and has not used Linux / Knoppix before now.
I was on the point of buying a sound card but I kept reading that it can be made to work
so don't give up keep trying.

This is a method for setting alsa to work at install time.I can't guarantee it will work for

everyone but it did work for me.

I take no credit for this it is not my work The credit goes to all of the respondants on the

Knoppix Forums with their answers to the question "how can I make alsa work"
all I have done is to collate all of the replies into a method.

This is how I installed Knoppix 3.2 and got alsa to work.

No quotes are used they are only for clarity.

First insert the Knoppix CD, then startup using the cd to boot from.

When Knoppix has loaded into memory and is is running from the CD press
" CTRL ALT F2 " at the prompt type
" knx-hdinstall alsa " and install Knoppix to your HDD.

I will not go into the install method this is only about Knoppix & alsa.

After installing Knoppix, reboot and at the bootprompt type " knoppix alsa "
and it will load the alsa kernel.

When Knoppix is started open a terminal as root or su and type " /etc/init.d/alsa-autoconfig ".

The alsa mixer appears and set the slider levels to 70db save and close and reboot.
When Knoppix has rebooted and is running alsa should be working, but if alsa
does not start open a terminal and type "aumix unmute " and the mixer GUI
opens on the desktop re-set the sound levels set to 70db and save, then close.

Logout and login as root and Find the bootmisc.sh shell found in /etc/init.d open it
using a text editor and add these 2 lines at the bottom of the page of bootmisc.sh.

# Added by Me to save aumix volume settings
aumix -w 70 -v 70 -cd 70

save, close,and remove the old bootmisc.sh if you want I do.
Reboot and at the prompt just press enter
[ do not type knoppix alsa ] and when Knoppix starts sound will be enabled.
I hope that this helps and I am sorry if it is a bit too basic for some
but is is written for the Newbies like me in the Linux community