Bootstrapping into git, commit gripes at me

In working through a usage example on my way to producing bonafide patches, I've found that commit is complaining. Here's what I've done.

  o Fetched and built cogito-0.12
  o Fetched (rsync) Linus' tree
  o Created a working directory, linux-2.6
  o linked .git in the working directory to the .git directory fetched
    from the net.
  o # git checkout -f v2.6.11
  o # cat ../old-patch-file | patch -p1

Then, according to Jeff's instructions, I have to perform get-update-cache with the name of each file I changed. Is that really the way?

  o # git-update-cache LIST_OF_CHANGED_FILES

Now I commit.

  o # git commit

I am presented with an editor session with the list of changed files already present. IfI add a comment and leave the editor, I'm told

   fatal: 5dc01c595e6c6ec9ccda4f6f69c131c0dd945f8c is not a valid 'commit' object

If I don't edit the comment, it doesn't give an error but I don't think the changes are committed because I can invoke git commit again.

Am I off track?

Cheers.

P.S.  vger isn't letting me subscribe ATM.  Please copy me with
      replies.