diff --git a/linux/testvector-generation/genTrace.sh b/linux/testvector-generation/genTrace.sh
index 6c3548be5..4c31ce6b6 100755
--- a/linux/testvector-generation/genTrace.sh
+++ b/linux/testvector-generation/genTrace.sh
@@ -13,32 +13,36 @@ Would you like to proceed? (y/n) " -n 1 -r
 echo
 if [[ $REPLY =~ ^[Yy]$ ]]
 then
-    # Create Output Directory
-    echo "Elevating permissions to create $traceFile, $interruptsFile"
-    sudo mkdir -p $tvDir
-    sudo chown cad $tvDir
-    sudo touch $traceFile 
-    sudo touch $interruptsFile 
-    sudo chmod a+rw $traceFile
-    sudo chmod a+rw $interruptsFile
+    if [ ! -d "$tvDir" ]; then
+        echo "Error: linux testvector directory $tvDir not found!">&2
+        echo "Please create it. For example:">&2
+        echo "    sudo mkdir -p $tvDir">&2
+        exit 1
+    fi
+    test -w $RISCV/linux-testvectors
+    if [ ! $? -eq 0 ]; then
+        echo "Error: insuffcient write privileges for linux testvector directory $tvDir !">&2
+        echo "Please chmod it. For example:">&2
+        echo "    sudo chmod -R a+rw $tvDir">&2
+        exit 1
+    fi
 
-    # Compile Devicetree from Source
-    dtc -I dts -O dtb ../devicetree/wally-virt.dts > ../devicetree/wally-virt.dtb
+    touch $traceFile 
+    touch $interruptsFile 
 
     # QEMU Simulation
     echo "Launching QEMU in replay mode!"
     (qemu-system-riscv64 \
-    -M virt -dtb ../devicetree/wally-virt.dtb \
+    -M virt -dtb $imageDir/wally-virt.dtb \
     -nographic \
     -bios $imageDir/fw_jump.elf -kernel $imageDir/Image -append "root=/dev/vda ro" -initrd $imageDir/rootfs.cpio \
     -singlestep -rtc clock=vm -icount shift=0,align=off,sleep=on,rr=replay,rrfile=$recordFile \
     -d nochain,cpu,in_asm,int \
     2>&1 >/dev/null | ./parseQEMUtoGDB.py | ./parseGDBtoTrace.py $interruptsFile | ./remove_dup.awk > $traceFile)
 
-    # Cleanup
-    echo "Elevating permissions to restrict write access to $traceFile, $interruptsFile"
-    sudo chown cad $traceFile
-    sudo chown cad $interruptsFile
-    sudo chmod o-w $traceFile
-    sudo chmod o-w $interruptsFile
+    echo "genTrace.sh completed!"
+    echo "You may want to restrict write access to $tvDir now and give cad ownership of it."
+    echo "Run the following:"
+    echo "    sudo chown -R cad:cad $tvDir"
+    echo "    sudo chmod -R go-w $tvDir"
 fi