diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index aff00191..f6ef0a31 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -10,8 +10,6 @@ build/src/CTEM
 *.swp
 
 
-build/
-
 configure
 
 config/
diff --git a/README b/README
index e0d5a8a8..8d4f6ef0 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
-Installing CTEM for code development
+### Installing CTEM for code development
 ************************************
 
 CTEM uses Autotools to automate makefile generation. To set up your system, 
 first run the script 
-$ ./autogen.sh
+
+`$ ./autogen.sh`
 
 You may have to modify the contents of src/Makefile.am in order to set the 
 appropriate flags for your compiler.  The default file contains examples of 
@@ -11,19 +12,28 @@ common flags (optimized code vs. debugging code) for gfortran and ifort.  Simply
 activate the appropriate set of flags for your system.
 
 From then on, you simply need to execute the following:
-$ mkdir build
+
+```
 $ cd build
 $ ../configure
 $ make clean
 $ make
+```
 
-The executable that is generated is build/src/CTEM
+The executable that is generated is `build/src/CTEM`
 
 
-Running CTEM
+************************************
+### Running CTEM
 ************************************
 An example CTEM simulation is included in the idl directory. You can execute the
 CTEM run using the IDL frontend using:
-$ idl < start.in
+
+`$ idl < start.in`
+
+Alternatively you may wish to use the Python front end.
+
+
+`$ python3 ctem_driver.py`
 
 The run parameters are controlled by the ctem.in file.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8d4f6ef0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+### Installing CTEM for code development
+************************************
+
+CTEM uses Autotools to automate makefile generation. To set up your system, 
+first run the script 
+
+`$ ./autogen.sh`
+
+You may have to modify the contents of src/Makefile.am in order to set the 
+appropriate flags for your compiler.  The default file contains examples of 
+common flags (optimized code vs. debugging code) for gfortran and ifort.  Simply
+activate the appropriate set of flags for your system.
+
+From then on, you simply need to execute the following:
+
+```
+$ cd build
+$ ../configure
+$ make clean
+$ make
+```
+
+The executable that is generated is `build/src/CTEM`
+
+
+************************************
+### Running CTEM
+************************************
+An example CTEM simulation is included in the idl directory. You can execute the
+CTEM run using the IDL frontend using:
+
+`$ idl < start.in`
+
+Alternatively you may wish to use the Python front end.
+
+
+`$ python3 ctem_driver.py`
+
+The run parameters are controlled by the ctem.in file.
diff --git a/build/.gitignore b/build/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c96a04f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+*
+!.gitignore
\ No newline at end of file