In vanilla Emacs (without Magit), the vc (Version Control) library acts as a thin wrapper around Git. Unlike Magit, which has a specialized "staging" workflow, vanilla vc follows the standard Git logic: you must add files to the index (stage them) before you commit them.

Here are the two best ways to do this using only built-in features.

Method 1: Using Dired (Best for multiple files)

If you have many files to commit, the most efficient way is to use vc-dir (which is just Dired with version control information enabled).

1. Open the directory: Open the folder containing your files in Dired (C-x d).
2. Identify changes: Look for files marked with M (Modified) or A (Added/Untracked).
3. Mark the files:
   • Move your cursor to the file you want to include.
   • Press m to mark the file.
   • Repeat m for all files you want to include in this specific commit.
4. Stage the files:
   • Run M-x vc-git-add.
   • Note: In some Emacs versions, if vc-git-add isn't directly in your command list, you can use M-x shell-command and type git add -u (for modified) or git add . (for all).
5. Commit:
   • Run M-x vc-commit.
   • A new buffer will open for your commit message. Type your message, then press C-c C-c to finish the commit.

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Method 2: Using vc-diff (Best for reviewing changes)

If you want to see exactly what you are committing before you stage it:

1. Open the Diff buffer: Run M-x vc-diff. This opens a buffer listing all files that have changed in the repository.
2. Select files: This buffer acts like Dired. You can move your cursor to a file and press m to mark it.
3. Stage the marked files:
   • While in the vc-diff buffer, run M-x vc-git-add. This will stage only the files you have marked.
4. Commit:
   • Run M-x vc-commit.

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Summary of Key Commands

Task	Command	Note
Stage New Files	M-x vc-add	Use this for files that don't exist in Git yet.
Stage Modified Files	M-x vc-git-add	Use this to move "Modified" files to the index.
View all changes	M-x vc-diff	Great for a "birds-eye view" of what's changed.
Commit	M-x vc-commit	Opens the commit message buffer.
Finalize Commit	C-c C-c	The standard way to save and exit a commit buffer.

Pro-Tip for Emacs 29/30 users

If you find yourself doing this often and want a "Magit-lite" experience without installing heavy packages, you can use the built-in M-x compile or M-x shell-command to run git add . quickly.

However, the Dired + m + vc-git-add workflow is the most "pure" Emacs way to handle multiple files without leaving the buffer.