The README file is just that. It'll be a text file named
README It will probably NOT be a file called
readme.txt (that's a windozy way of naming files).
Try the following to find it:
cd /home/coffee/scilab-3.1.1
find . -name README
Then when you know where it is:
cat /path/to/README
But you are using Mandriva. There's a much easier way to install software:
urpmi!
Search this site for "Easy urpmi", and follow the instructions.
Then, when you have updated your sources, do the following as root:
urpmi skylab
That should do it for you with the minimum of effort.
Whilst you are at it, you might as well get all the mandriva updates:
urpmi --update --auto-select
I hope you are on broadband!
HTH
EditOK Here's a link to easy urpmi:
http://www.mandrivausers.org/easyurpmi/index.php
Go there and enter your details eg Mandriva2006, etc. Click "Proceed to step 2"
Go through all the steps.
Select all 3 in "Core Distribution" and all 3 in "Other sources". Choose mirrors that are close to you if you can.
When you click "Proceed to step 3" you will get alist of commands to type into a root window.
So open up a terminal, use
su to become root, and copy & paste (Highlight copies, middle-click pastes, right?) the commands from your browser window, one at a time into the root terminal window, and execute them.
If you see an error, you have either mis-copied the command, or the mirror is down - in which case go back and choose another one.
That's it.