diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..128769766
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# editor backup files
+*~
+
+# log files
+**/logs
+*.log
+
+# Jupyter / iPython
+.ipynb_checkpoints/
+__pycache__/
+*.py[cod]
+*$py.class
+
diff --git a/jupyter_example.ipynb b/jupyter_example.ipynb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..18bcdec31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/jupyter_example.ipynb
@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
+{
+ "cells": [
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "*Getting Started with Jupyter and FPGA-SPICE on Linux\n",
+    "1. Install Anaconda: https://conda.io/docs/user-guide/install/linux.html \n",
+    "2. Run anaconda-navigator: `~/anaconda-navigator`\n",
+    "3. Launch jupyter notebook from anaconda navigator\n",
+    "\n",
+    "In the jupyter interface, navigate to the location of a notebook and view it."
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "To run FPGA-SPICE, define its location:"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": 1,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "# set this to the location of the vpr executable file\n",
+    "fpga_spice = \"~/tangxifan-eda-tools/branches/vpr7_rram/vpr/vpr\""
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Define an architecture file and a circuit file:"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": 2,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "arch = \"~/tangxifan-eda-tools/branches/vpr7_rram/libarchfpga/arch/sample_arch.xml\"\n",
+    "circuit = \"~/tangxifan-eda-tools/branches/vpr7_rram/vpr/Circuits/s298_K6_N10_ace.blif\""
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Run vpr:"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": 3,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [
+    {
+     "data": {
+      "text/plain": [
+       "0"
+      ]
+     },
+     "execution_count": 3,
+     "metadata": {},
+     "output_type": "execute_result"
+    }
+   ],
+   "source": [
+    "import os\n",
+    "command_line = fpga_spice + \" \" + arch + \" \" + circuit\n",
+    "os.system(command_line)"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "This will bring up a display of how the circuit is being placed on the FPGA. Press the `Proceed` button to step to the final placement, press `Proceed` again to step to the routing. Press the `Exit` button to exit the display.\n",
+    "\n",
+    "To run VPR without the display, use the command `-nodisp`"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": 4,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "command_line_nodisp = command_line + \" -nodisp\"\n"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": 5,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [
+    {
+     "data": {
+      "text/plain": [
+       "0"
+      ]
+     },
+     "execution_count": 5,
+     "metadata": {},
+     "output_type": "execute_result"
+    }
+   ],
+   "source": [
+    "os.system(command_line_nodisp)"
+   ]
+  }
+ ],
+ "metadata": {
+  "kernelspec": {
+   "display_name": "Python 3",
+   "language": "python",
+   "name": "python3"
+  },
+  "language_info": {
+   "codemirror_mode": {
+    "name": "ipython",
+    "version": 3
+   },
+   "file_extension": ".py",
+   "mimetype": "text/x-python",
+   "name": "python",
+   "nbconvert_exporter": "python",
+   "pygments_lexer": "ipython3",
+   "version": "3.6.5"
+  }
+ },
+ "nbformat": 4,
+ "nbformat_minor": 2
+}