B.5. Internal error cannot find character device (null)

Symptom

This error message appears when attempting to connect to a guest virtual machine's console:

# virsh console test2 Connected to domain test2 Escape character is ^] error: internal error cannot find character device (null)

Investigation

This error message shows that there is no serial console configured for the guest virtual machine.

Solution

Set up a serial console in the guest's XML file.

Procedure B.1. Setting up a serial console in the guest's XML

Add the following XML to the guest virtual machine's XML using virsh edit:

<serial type='pty'>
  <target port='0'/>
</serial>
<console type='pty'>
  <target type='serial' port='0'/>
</console>

Set up the console in the guest kernel command line.
To do this, either log in to the guest virtual machine to edit the /boot/grub/grub.conf file directly, or use the virt-edit command line tool. Add the following to the guest kernel command line:
```
console=ttyS0,115200
```
Run the followings command:
```
# virsh start vm && virsh console vm
```