diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 936f6a91b11de57e8daaaf4f3d10dc56cd1c4f0d..587392cce19b92e2a69066327dcc54721f73326f 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,71 +1,6 @@
-
-# /
-/Makefile
-/Makefile.in
-/config.*
-/configure
-/aclocal.m4
-/dependencies.m4
-/autom4te.cache
-/depcomp
-/install-sh
-/missing
-/mkinstalldirs
-/libtool
-/dune-subgrid.pc
-/semantic.cache
-/configure.lineno
-/stamp-h1
-/dune-subgrid-*.tar.gz
-/dune-subgrid-?.?
-/ltmain.sh
-/.libs
-/am
-
-# /doc/
-/doc/Makefile
-/doc/Makefile.in
-/doc/Makefile.dist
-/doc/Makefile.dist.in
-
-# /doc/doxygen/
-/doc/doxygen/Doxyfile.in
-/doc/doxygen/doxygen-tag
-/doc/doxygen/doxygen.log
-/doc/doxygen/html
-/doc/doxygen/html-dist
-/doc/doxygen/Makefile
-/doc/doxygen/Makefile.in
-/doc/doxygen/semantic.cache
-
-# /dune/
-/dune/Makefile.in
-/dune/Makefile
-
-# /dune/subgrid/
-/dune/subgrid/Makefile.in
-/dune/subgrid/Makefile
-
-# /dune/subgrid/subgrid/
-/dune/subgrid/subgrid/Makefile.in
-/dune/subgrid/subgrid/Makefile
-
-# /dune/subgrid/test/
-/dune/subgrid/test/Makefile.in
-/dune/subgrid/test/Makefile
-/dune/subgrid/test/semantic.cache
-/dune/subgrid/test/.deps
-/dune/subgrid/test/test-w-albertagrid
-/dune/subgrid/test/test-w-alugrid
-/dune/subgrid/test/test-w-sgrid
-/dune/subgrid/test/test-w-onedgrid
-/dune/subgrid/test/test-w-ug
-/dune/subgrid/test/test-w-yaspgrid
-
-# /m4/
-/m4/Makefile.in
-/m4/Makefile
-
-# /subgrid/
-/subgrid/Makefile.in
-/subgrid/Makefile
+# ignore all build folders
+/build*/
+# ignore backup files
+*~
+# ignore Python files
+*.pyc