sound question

[James Turland]

hi;hope I'm posting this question in the right place.I am new to ubuntu
and am quite impressed.My problem is I have a 5.1 speaker system that
worked fine on windows.The speakers are plugged into the three jacks at
the back.Is there some way or some script I can write to make them all
work.I saw something on an alsa site about changing my asoundrc file.
.Being a newbie to ubuntu I don't know how .I have barely
used the terminal because you ubunters have filled the synapses with
everything I have needed so far.I would like  a step by step guide to
the editing if that is what you suggest I should do.thanks so much to
the ubuntu community James