diff --git a/.github/README.md b/.github/README.md
index ddd313cf407..180d4c72bf7 100644
--- a/.github/README.md
+++ b/.github/README.md
@@ -31,3 +31,18 @@ Build scripts for GitHub actions are always stored in the [workflows](./workflow
 The [examples](./examples) directory contains scripts to show how to build R locally. Basically these scripts just let you run the same steps as the CI in [build-svn.yaml](./workflows/build-svn.yaml) for a given platform:
 
  - [build-r-macos.sh](./examples/build-r-macos.sh): do a full prep, build, and check on MacOS.
+
+## Develop locally
+
+For local development, `git status` should accurately reflect the state of the repository.
+A default clone will have the following two problems:
+
+- A large amount of untracked unignored files.
+- A change in `Makefile.in` necessitated by having to build from a Git clone.
+
+The [local](./local) directory contains files to help with these issues:
+
+- [dot-gitignore](./local/dot-gitignore): A `.gitignore` file ready to copy to the root of the project.
+- [post-checkout](./local/post-checkout): A script to update the `SVNINFO` file after each checkout or commit.
+
+Run the [setup.sh](./local/setup.sh) script for automated setup.
diff --git a/.github/local/dot-gitignore b/.github/local/dot-gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0458e9eef3a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/local/dot-gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,213 @@
+/.gitignore
+*.o
+*.d
+*.a
+*.so
+*.dylib
+/src/library/Recommended/*
+/.cache/
+/.editorconfig
+/Makeconf
+/Makefile
+/Makefile.in.bak
+/Makefrag.cc
+/Makefrag.cc_lo
+/Makefrag.cxx
+/Makefrag.m
+/SVNINFO
+/SVN-REVISION
+/bin/
+/compile_commands.json
+/config.log
+/config.status
+/cran.rstudio.com/
+/doc/FAQ
+/doc/Makefile
+/doc/NEWS
+/doc/NEWS.2.rds
+/doc/NEWS.3.rds
+/doc/NEWS.rds
+/doc/R.1
+/doc/RESOURCES
+/doc/Rscript.1
+/doc/html/Makefile
+/doc/html/NEWS.html
+/doc/html/index.html
+/doc/html/resources.html
+/doc/manual/Makefile
+/etc/Makeconf
+/etc/Makefile
+/etc/Renviron
+/etc/javaconf
+/etc/ldpaths
+/include/
+/libconftest.dSYM/
+/library/
+/libtool
+/m4/Makefile
+/non-tarball
+/po/Makefile
+/share/Makefile
+/share/zoneinfo/
+/src/Makefile
+/src/appl/Makedeps
+/src/appl/Makefile
+/src/extra/Makefile
+/src/extra/blas/Makefile
+/src/extra/intl/Makedeps
+/src/extra/intl/Makefile
+/src/extra/intl/charset.alias
+/src/extra/intl/charsetalias.h
+/src/extra/intl/libgnuintl.h
+/src/extra/tre/Makedeps
+/src/extra/tre/Makefile
+/src/extra/tzone/Makedeps
+/src/extra/tzone/Makefile
+/src/extra/xdr/Makefile
+/src/include/Makefile
+/src/include/R.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/Altrep.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/Applic.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/Arith.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/BLAS.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/Boolean.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/Callbacks.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/Complex.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/Connections.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/Constants.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/Error.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/GetX11Image.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/GraphicsDevice.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/GraphicsEngine.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/Itermacros.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/Lapack.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/Linpack.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/Makefile
+/src/include/R_ext/MathThreads.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/Memory.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/Parse.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/Print.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/PrtUtil.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/QuartzDevice.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/RS.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/RStartup.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/Rallocators.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/Random.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/Rdynload.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/Riconv.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/Utils.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/Visibility.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/eventloop.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/libextern.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/stamp-R
+/src/include/R_ext/stats_package.ts
+/src/include/R_ext/stats_stubs.ts
+/src/include/Rconfig.h
+/src/include/Rconfig.tsa
+/src/include/Rdefines.ts
+/src/include/Rembedded.ts
+/src/include/Rinterface.ts
+/src/include/Rinternals.ts
+/src/include/Rmath.h
+/src/include/Rmath.h0
+/src/include/Rmath.tsa
+/src/include/Rversion.h
+/src/include/Rversion.tsa
+/src/include/config.h
+/src/include/libintl.h
+/src/include/stamp-R
+/src/include/stamp-h
+/src/library/.vignettes/
+/src/library/Makefile
+/src/library/base/DESCRIPTION
+/src/library/base/Makefile
+/src/library/base/all.R
+/src/library/compiler/DESCRIPTION
+/src/library/compiler/Makefile
+/src/library/compiler/all.R
+/src/library/datasets/DESCRIPTION
+/src/library/datasets/Makefile
+/src/library/grDevices/DESCRIPTION
+/src/library/grDevices/Makefile
+/src/library/grDevices/all.R
+/src/library/grDevices/src/Makedeps
+/src/library/grDevices/src/Makefile
+/src/library/grDevices/src/cairo/Makefile
+/src/library/graphics/DESCRIPTION
+/src/library/graphics/Makefile
+/src/library/graphics/all.R
+/src/library/graphics/src/Makedeps
+/src/library/graphics/src/Makefile
+/src/library/grid/DESCRIPTION
+/src/library/grid/Makefile
+/src/library/grid/all.R
+/src/library/grid/src/Makedeps
+/src/library/grid/src/Makefile
+/src/library/methods/DESCRIPTION
+/src/library/methods/Makefile
+/src/library/methods/all.R
+/src/library/methods/src/Makedeps
+/src/library/methods/src/Makefile
+/src/library/parallel/DESCRIPTION
+/src/library/parallel/Makefile
+/src/library/parallel/all.R
+/src/library/parallel/src/Makedeps
+/src/library/parallel/src/Makefile
+/src/library/profile/Makefile
+/src/library/splines/DESCRIPTION
+/src/library/splines/Makefile
+/src/library/splines/all.R
+/src/library/splines/src/Makedeps
+/src/library/splines/src/Makefile
+/src/library/stats/DESCRIPTION
+/src/library/stats/Makefile
+/src/library/stats/all.R
+/src/library/stats/src/Makedeps
+/src/library/stats/src/Makefile
+/src/library/stats4/DESCRIPTION
+/src/library/stats4/Makefile
+/src/library/stats4/all.R
+/src/library/tcltk/DESCRIPTION
+/src/library/tcltk/Makefile
+/src/library/tcltk/src/Makefile
+/src/library/tools/DESCRIPTION
+/src/library/tools/Makefile
+/src/library/tools/all.R
+/src/library/tools/src/Makedeps
+/src/library/tools/src/Makefile
+/src/library/translations/DESCRIPTION
+/src/library/translations/Makefile
+/src/library/utils/DESCRIPTION
+/src/library/utils/Makefile
+/src/library/utils/all.R
+/src/library/utils/src/Makedeps
+/src/library/utils/src/Makefile
+/src/main/Makedeps
+/src/main/Makefile
+/src/main/R.bin
+/src/modules/Makefile
+/src/modules/X11/Makefile
+/src/modules/internet/Makedeps
+/src/modules/internet/Makefile
+/src/modules/lapack/Makedeps
+/src/modules/lapack/Makefile
+/src/nmath/Makedeps
+/src/nmath/Makefile
+/src/nmath/standalone/Makefile
+/src/scripts/Makefile
+/src/scripts/R.fe
+/src/scripts/R.sh
+/src/scripts/Rcmd
+/src/scripts/javareconf
+/src/scripts/mkinstalldirs
+/src/scripts/pager
+/src/scripts/rtags
+/src/unix/Makedeps
+/src/unix/Makefile
+/src/unix/Rscript
+/src/unix/Rscript.dSYM/
+/stamp-java
+/tests/Embedding/Makefile
+/tests/Examples/Makefile
+/tests/Makefile
+/tools/Makefile
diff --git a/.github/local/post-checkout b/.github/local/post-checkout
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..ead26b4ce5e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/local/post-checkout
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+echo "post-checkout: Updating SVNINFO"
+./.github/scripts/svn-info.sh > SVNINFO
+
diff --git a/.github/local/setup.sh b/.github/local/setup.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000000..819689a8dbf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/local/setup.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+set -ex
+
+cd $(dirname $0)/../..
+rm -f .gitignore
+cp .github/local/dot-gitignore .gitignore
+
+cd .git/hooks
+rm -f post-checkout
+cp ../../.github/local/post-checkout .