# Logstash init script - how to change default variables values without modifying logstash script?

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-init-script-how-to-change-default-variables-values-without-modifying-logstash-script/60140>\
**Category:** Logstash\
**Created:** [September 9, 2016, 7:53am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-init-script-how-to-change-default-variables-values-without-modifying-logstash-script/60140 "2016-09-09T07:53:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Saravanan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Saravanan](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Saravanan)\
**Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 7:53am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-init-script-how-to-change-default-variables-values-without-modifying-logstash-script/60140/1 "2016-09-09T07:53:07Z")

</div>

Hi,

I am using logstash software (2.2.4 version) on centos linux, and i want to change the default logstash log (LS\_LOG\_DIR) location to custom location (ex: /var/log/test) without modifying default init script (i.e /etc/init.d/logstash). Is that possible?

I tried setting up enviornment variables (ex: export LS\_LOG\_DIR=/var/log/test) to override default location, but it doesn't works...the service picks up default log location.

How to achieve overriding default values of logstash script without modifying default script?

LS\_USER=logstash  
LS\_GROUP=logstash  
LS\_LOG\_DIR=/var/log/logstash  
LS\_LOG\_FILE="${LS\_LOG\_DIR}/$name.log"

Thanks,  
Saravanan

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![magnusbaeck](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/magnusbaeck/32/44943_2.png) [@magnusbaeck](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/magnusbaeck)\
**Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 8:09am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-init-script-how-to-change-default-variables-values-without-modifying-logstash-script/60140/2 "2016-09-09T08:09:22Z")

</div>

This is exactly what /etc/sysconfig/logstash is for.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Saravanan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Saravanan](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Saravanan)\
**Post date:** [September 9, 2016, 1:03pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-init-script-how-to-change-default-variables-values-without-modifying-logstash-script/60140/3 "2016-09-09T13:03:15Z")

</div>

Thanks Magnus!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\
**Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 4:39am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/logstash-init-script-how-to-change-default-variables-values-without-modifying-logstash-script/60140/4 "2017-07-06T04:39:05Z")

</div>