[TIP]
================================================

When you extract the zip or tarball packages, the `elasticsearch-n.n.n`
directory contains the {es} `config`, `data`, `logs` and
`plugins` directories.

We recommend moving these directories out of the {es} directory
so that there is no chance of deleting them when you upgrade {es}.
To specify the new locations, use the `ES_PATH_CONF` environment
variable and the `path.data` and `path.logs` settings. For more information,
see <<important-settings,Important {es} configuration>>.

The <<deb,Debian>> and <<rpm,RPM>> packages place these directories in the
appropriate place for each operating system. In production, we recommend
installing using the deb or rpm package.

================================================