imported from https://holmeshe.me/understanding-memcached-source-code-II/

slabs_preallocate@slabs.c

static void slabs_preallocate (const unsigned int maxslabs) {
    int i;
    unsigned int prealloc = 0;

    /* pre-allocate a 1MB slab in every size class so people don't get
       confused by non-intuitive "SERVER_ERROR out of memory"
       messages.  this is the most common question on the mailing
       list.  if you really don't want this, you can rebuild without
       these three lines.  */

    for (i = POWER_SMALLEST /* scr: 1 */; i < MAX_NUMBER_OF_SLAB_CLASSES; i++) {
        if (++prealloc > maxslabs)
            return;
        if (do_slabs_newslab(i) == 0) {
            fprintf(stderr, "Error while preallocating slab memory!\n"
                "If using -L or other prealloc options, max memory must be "
                "at least %d megabytes.\n", power_largest);
            exit(1);
        }
    }

}