In order to search for commit content use the following command:
$ git grep <regexp> $(git rev-list --all)
$ git rev-list --all | xargs git grep <expression>
This command will work if you run into an "Argument list too long" error.
But, if in order to limit the search to some sub-tree (for instance, "lib/util"), pass that to the rev-list sub-command and grep as well:
$ git grep <regexp> $(git rev-list --all -- lib/util) -- lib/util
This command will grep through all your commit text for regexp. Note that the reason for passing the path in both commands is because rev-list will return the revisions list where all the changes to lib/util happened, but also you need to pass to grep so that it will only search in lib/util.
Let us understand this better with the help of a scenario: grep might find the same <regexp> on other files which are contained in the same revision returned by rev-list (even if there was no change to that file on that revision).
Some other ways of searching your source are mentioned below:
A. Search working tree for text matching regular expression regexp:
$ git grep <regexp>
B. Search working tree for lines of text matching regular expression regexp1 or regexp2:
$ git grep -e <regexp1> [--or] -e <regexp2>
C. Search working tree for lines of text matching regular expression regexp1 and regexp2, reporting file paths only:
$ git grep -e <regexp1> --and -e <regexp2>
D. Search working tree for files that have lines of text matching regular expression regexp1 and lines of text matching regular expression regexp2:
$ git grep -l --all-match -e <regexp1> -e <regexp2>
E. Search working tree for changed lines of text matching pattern:
$ git diff --unified=0 | grep <pattern>
F. Search all revisions for text matching regular expression regexp:
$ git grep <regexp> $(git rev-list --all)
G. Search all revisions between rev1 and rev2 for text matching regular expression regexp:
$ git grep <regexp> $(git rev-list <rev1>..<rev2>)
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