Failed to create repository via gitlab-shell

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I have a GitLab Community Edition 8.8.2 install(from source) on debian 8 which apparently is okay but when I try to create a repository I get

Failed to create repository via gitlab-shell
Unable to save project: Failed to create repository

when I check the log under /home/git/gitlab/log/production.log I see

Unable to save project: Failed to create repository
  ^[[1m^[[36mGroup Exists (0.2ms)^[[0m  ^[[1mSELECT  1 AS one FROM `namespaces` INNER JOIN `members` ON `namespaces`.`id` = `members`.`source_id` WHERE `members`.`type` IN ('Group$
  ^[[1m^[[35mGroup Exists (0.1ms)^[[0m  SELECT  1 AS one FROM `namespaces` INNER JOIN `members` ON `namespaces`.`id` = `members`.`source_id` WHERE `members`.`type` IN ('GroupMembe$
  ^[[1m^[[36mGroup Load (0.2ms)^[[0m  ^[[1mSELECT `namespaces`.* FROM `namespaces` INNER JOIN `members` ON `namespaces`.`id` = `members`.`source_id` WHERE `members`.`type` IN ('Gr$
  ^[[1m^[[35mGroup Load (0.1ms)^[[0m  SELECT `namespaces`.* FROM `namespaces` INNER JOIN `members` ON `namespaces`.`id` = `members`.`source_id` WHERE `members`.`type` IN ('GroupMe$
  ^[[1m^[[36mNamespace Load (0.1ms)^[[0m  ^[[1mSELECT  `namespaces`.* FROM `namespaces` WHERE `namespaces`.`owner_id` = 1 AND `namespaces`.`type` IS NULL  ORDER BY `namespaces`.`i$
  ^[[1m^[[35mUser Load (0.2ms)^[[0m  SELECT  `users`.* FROM `users` WHERE `users`.`id` = 1  ORDER BY `users`.`id` DESC LIMIT 1
  ^[[1m^[[36mAppearance Load (0.2ms)^[[0m  ^[[1mSELECT  `appearances`.* FROM `appearances`  ORDER BY `appearances`.`id` ASC LIMIT 1^[[0m
  ^[[1m^[[35m (0.2ms)^[[0m  SELECT COUNT(*) FROM `todos` WHERE `todos`.`user_id` = 1 AND (`todos`.`state` IN ('pending'))
  ^[[1m^[[36m (0.6ms)^[[0m  ^[[1mSELECT COUNT(*) FROM `projects` INNER JOIN `namespaces` ON `projects`.`namespace_id` = `namespaces`.`id` WHERE `projects`.`pending_delete` = 0 AND$
  ^[[1m^[[35mCACHE (0.0ms)^[[0m  SELECT  `appearances`.* FROM `appearances`  ORDER BY `appearances`.`id` ASC LIMIT 1
  ^[[1m^[[36mCACHE (0.0ms)^[[0m  ^[[1mSELECT COUNT(*) FROM `todos` WHERE `todos`.`user_id` = 1 AND (`todos`.`state` IN ('pending'))^[[0m  [["user_id", 1]]
  ^[[1m^[[35m (0.2ms)^[[0m  SELECT COUNT(*) FROM `issues` WHERE `issues`.`deleted_at` IS NULL AND `issues`.`assignee_id` = 1 AND (`issues`.`state` IN ('opened','reopened'))
  ^[[1m^[[36m (0.1ms)^[[0m  ^[[1mSELECT COUNT(*) FROM `merge_requests` WHERE `merge_requests`.`deleted_at` IS NULL AND `merge_requests`.`assignee_id` = 1 AND (`merge_requests`.`st$
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