diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..d52e3e5ea8f459591de85347b59fb92d14ae3ec0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+release.notes merge=union
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 57a0b01b29618ace350ba83fa0b70724a4cba42b..1aa8e21516db1f6124dde61b865b14ec73edc894 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,7 +1,49 @@
-/Makefile
-/.cproject
-/.project
-/.settings/
-/InstallArea/
-/build.*/
-/.pydevproject
+# backup files
+*~
+.*.swp
+
+# build products
+InstallArea/
+
+# CMake temporary files
+build.*/
+.build/
+build-dir/
+CMakeFiles/
+CTestTestfile.cmake
+CPackSourceConfig.cmake
+CPackConfig.cmake
+cmake_install.cmake
+
+# common byproducts
+*.pyc
+*.pyo
+DoxyWarnings.log
+.gdb_history
+*.new
+*.launch
+*.launch.py
+*.launch.opts
+
+# Eclipse data
+.project
+.cproject
+.settings
+.pydevproject
+.eclipse/
+
+# CMT tempoary files
+build.*.log
+Makefile
+NMake
+install.*.history
+setup.*
+cleanup.*
+version.cmt
+genConf/
+QMTest/
+test_results/
+*-slc[56]-*/
+i686-winxp-vc9-dbg/
+.*-slc[56]-*.d/
+.i686-winxp-vc9-dbg.d/