CONF_FILE setting is no longer supported. elasticsearch.yml must be placed in the config directory and cannot be renamed.

[luluprat]

i try to upgrade from a centos
1.5 to 2.1
i can't start elasticsearch
CONF_FILE setting is no longer supported. elasticsearch.yml must be placed in the config directory and cannot be renamed.

[dadoonet]

Yes it's part of the breaking changes. See #13772

[luluprat]

but wath i have to do so to get elasticsearch work ?

[dadoonet]

If you need help, you can describe all the steps you made to upgrade to 2.1 on discuss.elastic.co

We can help you there.

Check that you updated all scripts (like bin/elasticsearch...) as well.

[ekovacs]

same happend to me.

Problem:
i did not want to do anything else but install the 2.2.1 version through yum. no other magic, only a simple yum install ./elasticsearch-2.2.1.rpm. then starting it gave me the blues CONF_FILE setting is no longer supported. elasticsearch.yml must be placed in the config directory and cannot be renamed.

The solution:
/etc/sysconfig/elasticsearch had the CONF_FILE=/etc/elasticsearch/elasticsearch.yml line it it, that the rpm install process didn't update. after a couple hours of searching where the hell did i define this environment variable i tripped upon that location. after commenting out that line, the elasticsearch service started.

@dadoonet Please update the rpm/deb install process so it patches that file so that the service could start without a problem after the upgrade. if not, then please update your documentation to clearly state this possible problem and this solution.

[dadoonet]

Thanks @ekovacs. @spinscale WDYT? Should we open an issue?

[clintongormley]

@ekovacs Presumably your /etc/sysconfig/elasticsearch file was not replaced because it had been edited locally. You should have had a .rpm version (or similar) alongside it. This is how RPM works. We can't override your local edits.