Can not create project in top-level namespace

Problem to solve

I am on the free plan. I am a maintainer and would like to create a project in our private top-level namespace but am not able to. We already have 6 private projects (created by someone) in the top-level namespace. I checked the limitations on a free account but nothing suggests that we’ve hit any limit (we have 3 users so far). Our group, projects and subgroups are all private.

I have even checked with the owner of our top-level namespace, they are not able to create a new project in the top-level either.

When browsing on our top-level namespace, I’m looking for a new project button in the top-right, but it is absent (true both when I use the classic and new gitlab interface, configurable in the top-left of the gitlab webpage). If I navigate within a subgroup, then the button appears.

I have also tried creating a project in our top-level namespace using the CLI:

git push --set-upstream git@gitlab.com:<top-level-namespace>/testrepo.git master from within a new local git repo. This fails with the following error:

remote: 
remote: ========================================================================
remote: 
remote: ERROR: The project you were looking for could not be found or you don't have permission to view it.

remote: 
remote: ========================================================================
remote: 
fatal: Could not read from remote repository.

Please make sure you have the correct access rights
and the repository exists.

However, if I specify a subgroup then it works:

git push --set-upstream git@gitlab.com:<top-level-namespace>/<subgroup>/testrepo.git master

Enumerating objects: 3, done.
Counting objects: 100% (3/3), done.
Writing objects: 100% (3/3), 237 bytes | 237.00 KiB/s, done.
Total 3 (delta 0), reused 0 (delta 0), pack-reused 0
remote: 
remote: 
remote: The private project <top-level-namespace>/<subgroup>/testrepo was successfully created.
remote: 
remote: To configure the remote, run:
remote:   git remote add origin git@gitlab.com:<top-level-namespace>/<subgroup>/testrepo.git
remote: 
remote: To view the project, visit:
remote:   https://gitlab.com/<top-level-namespace>/<subgroup>/testrepo
remote: 
remote: 
remote: 
To gitlab.com:<top-level-namespace>/<subgroup>/testrepo.git
 * [new branch]      master -> master
Branch 'master' set up to track remote branch 'master' from 'git@gitlab.com:<top-level-namespace>/<subgroup>/testrepo.git'.

If I attempt to create a project using the + sign in the top-left, next to my username, in the Project URL, where I need to Pick a group or namespace, I only see a list of /, but I can’t select the alone.

Steps to reproduce

[Option 1]: Be me, a maintainer which has created subgroups, projects in those subgroups and committed to projects within the top-level namespace. Look for the “new project” when navigating on the website to the top-level namespace and witness it is missing.

[Option 2]: Attempt to create a new project in the top-level namespace using the CLI:

• mkdir testrepo && cd testrepo
• git init
• git checkout -b master
• echo "This is a test" > README.md
• git add README.md
• git commit -m "This is a test commit
• git push --set-upstream git@gitlab.com:<top-level-namespace>/testrepo.git master
  Witness how the last command yields the error message posted above.

Configuration

missing-new-project1867×280 32.4 KB

existing-toplevel-projects1864×1008 90 KB

missing-toplevel1386×886 84.6 KB

Versions

Please add an x whether options apply, and add the version information.

• Self-managed
• GitLab.com SaaS
• Dedicated

Versions

• GitLab (Web: /help or self-managed system information sudo gitlab-rake gitlab:env:info): GitLab Enterprise Edition 17.7.0-pre b2e33d02493