Revert "qemu-char: Print strerror message on failure" and deps

The commit's purpose is laudable:

    The only way for chardev drivers to communicate an error was to
    return a NULL pointer, which resulted in an error message that
    said _that_ something went wrong, but not _why_.

It attempts to achieve it by changing the interface to return 0/-errno
and update qemu_chr_open_opts() to use strerror() to display a more
helpful error message.  Unfortunately, it has serious flaws:

1. Backends "socket" and "udp" return bogus error codes, because
qemu_chr_open_socket() and qemu_chr_open_udp() assume that
unix_listen_opts(), unix_connect_opts(), inet_listen_opts(),
inet_connect_opts() and inet_dgram_opts() fail with errno set
appropriately.  That assumption is wrong, and the commit turns
unspecific error messages into misleading error messages.  For
instance:

    $ qemu-system-x86_64 -nodefaults -vnc :0 -chardev socket,id=bar,host=xxx
    inet_connect: host and/or port not specified
    chardev: opening backend "socket" failed: No such file or directory

ENOENT is what happens to be in my errno when the backend returns
-errno.  Let's put ERANGE there just for giggles:

    $ qemu-system-x86_64 -nodefaults -vnc :0 -chardev socket,id=bar,host=xxx -drive if=none,iops=99999999999999999999
    inet_connect: host and/or port not specified
    chardev: opening backend "socket" failed: Numerical result out of range

Worse: when errno happens to be zero, return -errno erroneously
signals success, and qemu_chr_new_from_opts() dies dereferencing
uninitialized chr.  I observe this with "-serial unix:".

2. All qemu_chr_open_opts() knows about the error is an errno error
code.  That's simply not enough for a decent message.  For instance,
when inet_dgram() can't resolve the parameter host, which errno code
should it use?  What if it can't resolve parameter localaddr?

Clue: many backends already report errors in their open methods.
Let's revert the flawed commit along with its dependencies, and fix up
the silent error paths instead.

This reverts commit 6e1db57b2ac9025c2443c665a0d9e78748637b26.

Conflicts:

	console.c
	hw/baum.c
	qemu-char.c

This reverts commit aad04cd024f0c59f0b96f032cde2e24eb3abba6d.

The parts of commit db418a0a "Add stdio char device on windows" that
depend on the reverted change fixed up.

Signed-off-by: Markus Armbruster <armbru@redhat.com>
Signed-off-by: Anthony Liguori <aliguori@us.ibm.com>

9 files changed, 84 insertions, 122 deletions

diff --git a/console.c b/console.c
index 135394f6f6..2c432e3929 100644
--- a/console.c
+++ b/console.c
@@ -1510,7 +1510,7 @@ static void text_console_do_init(CharDriverState *chr, DisplayState *ds)
         chr->init(chr);
 }
 
-int text_console_init(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
+CharDriverState *text_console_init(QemuOpts *opts)
 {
     CharDriverState *chr;
     TextConsole *s;
@@ -1542,7 +1542,7 @@ int text_console_init(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
 
     if (!s) {
         g_free(chr);
-        return -EBUSY;
+        return NULL;
     }
 
     s->chr = chr;
@@ -1550,9 +1550,7 @@ int text_console_init(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
     s->g_height = height;
     chr->opaque = s;
     chr->chr_set_echo = text_console_set_echo;
-
-    *_chr = chr;
-    return 0;
+    return chr;
 }
 
 void text_consoles_set_display(DisplayState *ds)
diff --git a/console.h b/console.h
index 6ba0d5ddf3..c33ffe0007 100644
--- a/console.h
+++ b/console.h
@@ -356,7 +356,7 @@ void vga_hw_text_update(console_ch_t *chardata);
 
 int is_graphic_console(void);
 int is_fixedsize_console(void);
-int text_console_init(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr);
+CharDriverState *text_console_init(QemuOpts *opts);
 void text_consoles_set_display(DisplayState *ds);
 void console_select(unsigned int index);
 void console_color_init(DisplayState *ds);
diff --git a/hw/baum.c b/hw/baum.c
index 86d780a617..3e94f84e51 100644
--- a/hw/baum.c
+++ b/hw/baum.c
@@ -562,7 +562,7 @@ static void baum_close(struct CharDriverState *chr)
     g_free(baum);
 }
 
-int chr_baum_init(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
+CharDriverState *chr_baum_init(QemuOpts *opts)
 {
     BaumDriverState *baum;
     CharDriverState *chr;
@@ -614,8 +614,7 @@ int chr_baum_init(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
 
     qemu_chr_generic_open(chr);
 
-    *_chr = chr;
-    return 0;
+    return chr;
 
 fail:
     qemu_free_timer(baum->cellCount_timer);
@@ -624,5 +623,5 @@ fail_handle:
     g_free(handle);
     g_free(chr);
     g_free(baum);
-    return -EIO;
+    return NULL;
 }
diff --git a/hw/baum.h b/hw/baum.h
index 3f28cc339a..8af710fa21 100644
--- a/hw/baum.h
+++ b/hw/baum.h
@@ -23,4 +23,4 @@
  */
 
 /* char device */
-int chr_baum_init(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr);
+CharDriverState *chr_baum_init(QemuOpts *opts);
diff --git a/hw/msmouse.c b/hw/msmouse.c
index c3b57ea31c..9c492a4637 100644
--- a/hw/msmouse.c
+++ b/hw/msmouse.c
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ static void msmouse_chr_close (struct CharDriverState *chr)
     g_free (chr);
 }
 
-int qemu_chr_open_msmouse(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
+CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_msmouse(QemuOpts *opts)
 {
     CharDriverState *chr;
 
@@ -74,6 +74,5 @@ int qemu_chr_open_msmouse(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
 
     qemu_add_mouse_event_handler(msmouse_event, chr, 0, "QEMU Microsoft Mouse");
 
-    *_chr = chr;
-    return 0;
+    return chr;
 }
diff --git a/hw/msmouse.h b/hw/msmouse.h
index 8b853b35bf..456cb21424 100644
--- a/hw/msmouse.h
+++ b/hw/msmouse.h
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
 /* msmouse.c */
-int qemu_chr_open_msmouse(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr);
+CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_msmouse(QemuOpts *opts);
diff --git a/qemu-char.c b/qemu-char.c
index b1d80dd24e..1e882cfeea 100644
--- a/qemu-char.c
+++ b/qemu-char.c
@@ -218,15 +218,13 @@ static int null_chr_write(CharDriverState *chr, const uint8_t *buf, int len)
     return len;
 }
 
-static int qemu_chr_open_null(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
+static CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_null(QemuOpts *opts)
 {
     CharDriverState *chr;
 
     chr = g_malloc0(sizeof(CharDriverState));
     chr->chr_write = null_chr_write;
-
-    *_chr= chr;
-    return 0;
+    return chr;
 }
 
 /* MUX driver for serial I/O splitting */
@@ -636,21 +634,18 @@ static CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_fd(int fd_in, int fd_out)
     return chr;
 }
 
-static int qemu_chr_open_file_out(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
+static CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_file_out(QemuOpts *opts)
 {
     int fd_out;
 
     TFR(fd_out = qemu_open(qemu_opt_get(opts, "path"),
                       O_WRONLY | O_TRUNC | O_CREAT | O_BINARY, 0666));
-    if (fd_out < 0) {
-        return -errno;
-    }
-
-    *_chr = qemu_chr_open_fd(-1, fd_out);
-    return 0;
+    if (fd_out < 0)
+        return NULL;
+    return qemu_chr_open_fd(-1, fd_out);
 }
 
-static int qemu_chr_open_pipe(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
+static CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_pipe(QemuOpts *opts)
 {
     int fd_in, fd_out;
     char filename_in[256], filename_out[256];
@@ -658,7 +653,7 @@ static int qemu_chr_open_pipe(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
 
     if (filename == NULL) {
         fprintf(stderr, "chardev: pipe: no filename given\n");
-        return -EINVAL;
+        return NULL;
     }
 
     snprintf(filename_in, 256, "%s.in", filename);
@@ -670,14 +665,11 @@ static int qemu_chr_open_pipe(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
 	    close(fd_in);
 	if (fd_out >= 0)
 	    close(fd_out);
-        TFR(fd_in = fd_out = qemu_open(filename, O_RDWR | O_BINARY));
-        if (fd_in < 0) {
-            return -errno;
-        }
+        TFR(fd_in = fd_out = open(filename, O_RDWR | O_BINARY));
+        if (fd_in < 0)
+            return NULL;
     }
-
-    *_chr = qemu_chr_open_fd(fd_in, fd_out);
-    return 0;
+    return qemu_chr_open_fd(fd_in, fd_out);
 }
 
 
@@ -768,14 +760,12 @@ static void qemu_chr_close_stdio(struct CharDriverState *chr)
     fd_chr_close(chr);
 }
 
-static int qemu_chr_open_stdio(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
+static CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_stdio(QemuOpts *opts)
 {
     CharDriverState *chr;
 
-    if (stdio_nb_clients >= STDIO_MAX_CLIENTS) {
-        return -EBUSY;
-    }
-
+    if (stdio_nb_clients >= STDIO_MAX_CLIENTS)
+        return NULL;
     if (stdio_nb_clients == 0) {
         old_fd0_flags = fcntl(0, F_GETFL);
         tcgetattr (0, &oldtty);
@@ -792,8 +782,7 @@ static int qemu_chr_open_stdio(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
                                            display_type != DT_NOGRAPHIC);
     qemu_chr_fe_set_echo(chr, false);
 
-    *_chr = chr;
-    return 0;
+    return chr;
 }
 
 #ifdef __sun__
@@ -980,7 +969,7 @@ static void pty_chr_close(struct CharDriverState *chr)
     qemu_chr_be_event(chr, CHR_EVENT_CLOSED);
 }
 
-static int qemu_chr_open_pty(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
+static CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_pty(QemuOpts *opts)
 {
     CharDriverState *chr;
     PtyCharDriver *s;
@@ -995,7 +984,7 @@ static int qemu_chr_open_pty(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
 #endif
 
     if (openpty(&master_fd, &slave_fd, pty_name, NULL, NULL) < 0) {
-        return -errno;
+        return NULL;
     }
 
     /* Set raw attributes on the pty. */
@@ -1021,8 +1010,7 @@ static int qemu_chr_open_pty(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
     s->fd = master_fd;
     s->timer = qemu_new_timer_ms(rt_clock, pty_chr_timer, chr);
 
-    *_chr = chr;
-    return 0;
+    return chr;
 }
 
 static void tty_serial_init(int fd, int speed,
@@ -1223,28 +1211,30 @@ static void qemu_chr_close_tty(CharDriverState *chr)
     }
 }
 
-static int qemu_chr_open_tty(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
+static CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_tty(QemuOpts *opts)
 {
     const char *filename = qemu_opt_get(opts, "path");
     CharDriverState *chr;
     int fd;
 
-    TFR(fd = qemu_open(filename, O_RDWR | O_NONBLOCK));
+    TFR(fd = open(filename, O_RDWR | O_NONBLOCK));
     if (fd < 0) {
-        return -errno;
+        return NULL;
     }
     tty_serial_init(fd, 115200, 'N', 8, 1);
     chr = qemu_chr_open_fd(fd, fd);
+    if (!chr) {
+        close(fd);
+        return NULL;
+    }
     chr->chr_ioctl = tty_serial_ioctl;
     chr->chr_close = qemu_chr_close_tty;
-
-    *_chr = chr;
-    return 0;
+    return chr;
 }
 #else  /* ! __linux__ && ! __sun__ */
-static int qemu_chr_open_pty(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
+static CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_pty(QemuOpts *opts)
 {
-    return -ENOTSUP;
+    return NULL;
 }
 #endif /* __linux__ || __sun__ */
 
@@ -1358,7 +1348,7 @@ static void pp_close(CharDriverState *chr)
     qemu_chr_be_event(chr, CHR_EVENT_CLOSED);
 }
 
-static int qemu_chr_open_pp(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
+static CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_pp(QemuOpts *opts)
 {
     const char *filename = qemu_opt_get(opts, "path");
     CharDriverState *chr;
@@ -1366,13 +1356,12 @@ static int qemu_chr_open_pp(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
     int fd;
 
     TFR(fd = open(filename, O_RDWR));
-    if (fd < 0) {
-        return -errno;
-    }
+    if (fd < 0)
+        return NULL;
 
     if (ioctl(fd, PPCLAIM) < 0) {
         close(fd);
-        return -errno;
+        return NULL;
     }
 
     drv = g_malloc0(sizeof(ParallelCharDriver));
@@ -1387,8 +1376,7 @@ static int qemu_chr_open_pp(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
 
     qemu_chr_generic_open(chr);
 
-    *_chr = chr;
-    return 0;
+    return chr;
 }
 #endif /* __linux__ */
 
@@ -1430,24 +1418,21 @@ static int pp_ioctl(CharDriverState *chr, int cmd, void *arg)
     return 0;
 }
 
-static int qemu_chr_open_pp(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
+static CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_pp(QemuOpts *opts)
 {
     const char *filename = qemu_opt_get(opts, "path");
     CharDriverState *chr;
     int fd;
 
-    fd = qemu_open(filename, O_RDWR);
-    if (fd < 0) {
-        return -errno;
-    }
+    fd = open(filename, O_RDWR);
+    if (fd < 0)
+        return NULL;
 
     chr = g_malloc0(sizeof(CharDriverState));
     chr->opaque = (void *)(intptr_t)fd;
     chr->chr_write = null_chr_write;
     chr->chr_ioctl = pp_ioctl;
-
-    *_chr = chr;
-    return 0;
+    return chr;
 }
 #endif
 
@@ -1663,7 +1648,7 @@ static int win_chr_poll(void *opaque)
     return 0;
 }
 
-static int qemu_chr_open_win(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
+static CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_win(QemuOpts *opts)
 {
     const char *filename = qemu_opt_get(opts, "path");
     CharDriverState *chr;
@@ -1678,12 +1663,10 @@ static int qemu_chr_open_win(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
     if (win_chr_init(chr, filename) < 0) {
         g_free(s);
         g_free(chr);
-        return -EIO;
+        return NULL;
     }
     qemu_chr_generic_open(chr);
-
-    *_chr = chr;
-    return 0;
+    return chr;
 }
 
 static int win_chr_pipe_poll(void *opaque)
@@ -1765,7 +1748,7 @@ static int win_chr_pipe_init(CharDriverState *chr, const char *filename)
 }
 
 
-static int qemu_chr_open_win_pipe(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
+static CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_win_pipe(QemuOpts *opts)
 {
     const char *filename = qemu_opt_get(opts, "path");
     CharDriverState *chr;
@@ -1780,15 +1763,13 @@ static int qemu_chr_open_win_pipe(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
     if (win_chr_pipe_init(chr, filename) < 0) {
         g_free(s);
         g_free(chr);
-        return -EIO;
+        return NULL;
     }
     qemu_chr_generic_open(chr);
-
-    *_chr = chr;
-    return 0;
+    return chr;
 }
 
-static int qemu_chr_open_win_file(HANDLE fd_out, CharDriverState **pchr)
+static CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_win_file(HANDLE fd_out)
 {
     CharDriverState *chr;
     WinCharState *s;
@@ -1799,27 +1780,25 @@ static int qemu_chr_open_win_file(HANDLE fd_out, CharDriverState **pchr)
     chr->opaque = s;
     chr->chr_write = win_chr_write;
     qemu_chr_generic_open(chr);
-    *pchr = chr;
-    return 0;
+    return chr;
 }
 
-static int qemu_chr_open_win_con(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **chr)
+static CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_win_con(QemuOpts *opts)
 {
-    return qemu_chr_open_win_file(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE), chr);
+    return qemu_chr_open_win_file(GetStdHandle(STD_OUTPUT_HANDLE));
 }
 
-static int qemu_chr_open_win_file_out(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
+static CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_win_file_out(QemuOpts *opts)
 {
     const char *file_out = qemu_opt_get(opts, "path");
     HANDLE fd_out;
 
     fd_out = CreateFile(file_out, GENERIC_WRITE, FILE_SHARE_READ, NULL,
                         OPEN_ALWAYS, FILE_ATTRIBUTE_NORMAL, NULL);
-    if (fd_out == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE) {
-        return -EIO;
-    }
+    if (fd_out == INVALID_HANDLE_VALUE)
+        return NULL;
 
-    return qemu_chr_open_win_file(fd_out, _chr);
+    return qemu_chr_open_win_file(fd_out);
 }
 
 static int win_stdio_write(CharDriverState *chr, const uint8_t *buf, int len)
@@ -1960,7 +1939,7 @@ static void win_stdio_close(CharDriverState *chr)
     stdio_nb_clients--;
 }
 
-static int qemu_chr_open_win_stdio(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
+static CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_win_stdio(QemuOpts *opts)
 {
     CharDriverState   *chr;
     WinStdioCharState *stdio;
@@ -1969,7 +1948,7 @@ static int qemu_chr_open_win_stdio(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
 
     if (stdio_nb_clients >= STDIO_MAX_CLIENTS
         || ((display_type != DT_NOGRAPHIC) && (stdio_nb_clients != 0))) {
-        return -EIO;
+        return NULL;
     }
 
     chr   = g_malloc0(sizeof(CharDriverState));
@@ -2028,9 +2007,7 @@ static int qemu_chr_open_win_stdio(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
     chr->chr_set_echo = qemu_chr_set_echo_win_stdio;
     qemu_chr_fe_set_echo(chr, false);
 
-    *_chr = chr;
-
-    return 0;
+    return chr;
 }
 #endif /* !_WIN32 */
 
@@ -2111,12 +2088,11 @@ static void udp_chr_close(CharDriverState *chr)
     qemu_chr_be_event(chr, CHR_EVENT_CLOSED);
 }
 
-static int qemu_chr_open_udp(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
+static CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_udp(QemuOpts *opts)
 {
     CharDriverState *chr = NULL;
     NetCharDriver *s = NULL;
     int fd = -1;
-    int ret;
 
     chr = g_malloc0(sizeof(CharDriverState));
     s = g_malloc0(sizeof(NetCharDriver));
@@ -2124,7 +2100,6 @@ static int qemu_chr_open_udp(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
     fd = inet_dgram_opts(opts);
     if (fd < 0) {
         fprintf(stderr, "inet_dgram_opts failed\n");
-        ret = -errno;
         goto return_err;
     }
 
@@ -2135,9 +2110,7 @@ static int qemu_chr_open_udp(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
     chr->chr_write = udp_chr_write;
     chr->chr_update_read_handler = udp_chr_update_read_handler;
     chr->chr_close = udp_chr_close;
-
-    *_chr = chr;
-    return 0;
+    return chr;
 
 return_err:
     g_free(chr);
@@ -2145,7 +2118,7 @@ return_err:
     if (fd >= 0) {
         closesocket(fd);
     }
-    return ret;
+    return NULL;
 }
 
 /***********************************************************/
@@ -2436,7 +2409,7 @@ static void tcp_chr_close(CharDriverState *chr)
     qemu_chr_be_event(chr, CHR_EVENT_CLOSED);
 }
 
-static int qemu_chr_open_socket(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
+static CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_socket(QemuOpts *opts)
 {
     CharDriverState *chr = NULL;
     TCPCharDriver *s = NULL;
@@ -2446,7 +2419,6 @@ static int qemu_chr_open_socket(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
     int do_nodelay;
     int is_unix;
     int is_telnet;
-    int ret;
 
     is_listen      = qemu_opt_get_bool(opts, "server", 0);
     is_waitconnect = qemu_opt_get_bool(opts, "wait", 1);
@@ -2472,10 +2444,8 @@ static int qemu_chr_open_socket(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
             fd = inet_connect_opts(opts);
         }
     }
-    if (fd < 0) {
-        ret = -errno;
+    if (fd < 0)
         goto fail;
-    }
 
     if (!is_waitconnect)
         socket_set_nonblock(fd);
@@ -2528,16 +2498,14 @@ static int qemu_chr_open_socket(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
         tcp_chr_accept(chr);
         socket_set_nonblock(s->listen_fd);
     }
-
-    *_chr = chr;
-    return 0;
+    return chr;
 
  fail:
     if (fd >= 0)
         closesocket(fd);
     g_free(s);
     g_free(chr);
-    return ret;
+    return NULL;
 }
 
 /***********************************************************/
@@ -2730,7 +2698,7 @@ fail:
 
 static const struct {
     const char *name;
-    int (*open)(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **chr);
+    CharDriverState *(*open)(QemuOpts *opts);
 } backend_table[] = {
     { .name = "null",      .open = qemu_chr_open_null },
     { .name = "socket",    .open = qemu_chr_open_socket },
@@ -2771,7 +2739,6 @@ CharDriverState *qemu_chr_new_from_opts(QemuOpts *opts,
 {
     CharDriverState *chr;
     int i;
-    int ret;
 
     if (qemu_opts_id(opts) == NULL) {
         fprintf(stderr, "chardev: no id specified\n");
@@ -2793,10 +2760,10 @@ CharDriverState *qemu_chr_new_from_opts(QemuOpts *opts,
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    ret = backend_table[i].open(opts, &chr);
-    if (ret < 0) {
-        fprintf(stderr, "chardev: opening backend \"%s\" failed: %s\n",
-                qemu_opt_get(opts, "backend"), strerror(-ret));
+    chr = backend_table[i].open(opts);
+    if (!chr) {
+        fprintf(stderr, "chardev: opening backend \"%s\" failed\n",
+                qemu_opt_get(opts, "backend"));
         return NULL;
     }
 
diff --git a/spice-qemu-char.c b/spice-qemu-char.c
index 7e8eaa9fd8..1e735ffd09 100644
--- a/spice-qemu-char.c
+++ b/spice-qemu-char.c
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ static void print_allowed_subtypes(void)
     fprintf(stderr, "\n");
 }
 
-int qemu_chr_open_spice(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
+CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_spice(QemuOpts *opts)
 {
     CharDriverState *chr;
     SpiceCharDriver *s;
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ int qemu_chr_open_spice(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
     if (name == NULL) {
         fprintf(stderr, "spice-qemu-char: missing name parameter\n");
         print_allowed_subtypes();
-        return -EINVAL;
+        return NULL;
     }
     for(;*psubtype != NULL; ++psubtype) {
         if (strcmp(name, *psubtype) == 0) {
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ int qemu_chr_open_spice(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
     if (subtype == NULL) {
         fprintf(stderr, "spice-qemu-char: unsupported name\n");
         print_allowed_subtypes();
-        return -EINVAL;
+        return NULL;
     }
 
     chr = g_malloc0(sizeof(CharDriverState));
@@ -233,6 +233,5 @@ int qemu_chr_open_spice(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr)
     }
 #endif
 
-    *_chr = chr;
-    return 0;
+    return chr;
 }
diff --git a/ui/qemu-spice.h b/ui/qemu-spice.h
index 680206a585..3299da87d6 100644
--- a/ui/qemu-spice.h
+++ b/ui/qemu-spice.h
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ int qemu_spice_migrate_info(const char *hostname, int port, int tls_port,
 void do_info_spice_print(Monitor *mon, const QObject *data);
 void do_info_spice(Monitor *mon, QObject **ret_data);
 
-int qemu_chr_open_spice(QemuOpts *opts, CharDriverState **_chr);
+CharDriverState *qemu_chr_open_spice(QemuOpts *opts);
 
 #else  /* CONFIG_SPICE */
 #include "monitor.h"