diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index c4d7711a3545ce7f7683b46dcbd5c038c315c654..587392cce19b92e2a69066327dcc54721f73326f 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,99 +1,6 @@
-
-# /
-/configure
-/Makefile.in
-/Makefile
-/config.*
-/dune-solvers.pc
-/depcomp
-/ltmain.sh
-/dependencies.m4
-/stamp-h1
-/am
-/libtool
-/autom4te.cache
-/missing
-/aclocal.m4
-/install-sh
-/compile
-/test-driver
-
-# /cmake/
-/cmake/Makefile.in
-/cmake/Makefile
-/cmake/modules/Makefile.in
-/cmake/modules/Makefile
-
-# /doc/
-/doc/Makefile.in
-/doc/Makefile
-
-# /doc/doxygen/
-/doc/doxygen/doxygen-tag
-/doc/doxygen/doxygen.log
-/doc/doxygen/doxyerr.log
-/doc/doxygen/html
-/doc/doxygen/Makefile.in
-/doc/doxygen/Makefile
-/doc/doxygen/Doxyfile
-/doc/doxygen/Doxyfile.in
-
-# /dune/
-/dune/Makefile.in
-/dune/Makefile
-
-# /dune/solvers/
-/dune/solvers/Makefile.in
-/dune/solvers/Makefile
-
-# /dune/solvers/common/
-/dune/solvers/common/Makefile.in
-/dune/solvers/common/Makefile
-
-# /dune/solvers/iterationsteps/
-/dune/solvers/iterationsteps/Makefile.in
-/dune/solvers/iterationsteps/Makefile
-
-# /dune/solvers/norms/
-/dune/solvers/norms/Makefile.in
-/dune/solvers/norms/Makefile
-
-# /dune/solvers/operators/
-/dune/solvers/operators/Makefile.in
-/dune/solvers/operators/Makefile
-
-# /dune/solvers/solvers/
-/dune/solvers/solvers/Makefile.in
-/dune/solvers/solvers/Makefile
-
-# /dune/solvers/test/
-/dune/solvers/test/cgsteptest
-/dune/solvers/test/genericvectortoolstest
-/dune/solvers/test/lowrankoperatortest
-/dune/solvers/test/mmgtest
-/dune/solvers/test/multigridtest
-/dune/solvers/test/nulloperatortest
-/dune/solvers/test/quadraticipoptsolvertest
-/dune/solvers/test/sumoperatortest
-/dune/solvers/test/Makefile.in
-/dune/solvers/test/Makefile
-/dune/solvers/test/.deps
-/dune/solvers/test/*.o
-
-# /dune/solvers/transferoperators/
-/dune/solvers/transferoperators/Makefile.in
-/dune/solvers/transferoperators/Makefile
-
-# /m4/
-/m4/Makefile.in
-/m4/Makefile
-
-# /src/
-/src/Makefile.in
-/src/Makefile
-/src/dune_solvers
-/src/.deps
-
-# Standard cmake build directory
-/build-cmake
-
+# ignore all build folders
+/build*/
+# ignore backup files
+*~
+# ignore Python files
+*.pyc