[postgis-devel] [postgis-users] PostGIS 3.0.0 alpha2 released

[Regina Obe]

> Any idea why the 2nd digit in the so file is dropped?

> There's been a long discussion. I was against that drop, FWIW.

To make pg_upgrade easier because upgrade always breaks if it can't find the older library in your newer install. 
 Now there is no need to push the old version of PostGIS into a new PostgreSQL install or fiddle with symlinking tricks.
Because the new minor version will always be backward compatible with the  old minor version.

Installing two versions of PostGIS in a PostgreSQL instance has always been a huge headache because of dependency requirements -- you need to make sure you compiled both old and new with same dependencies otherwise they attack each other and then becomes a who came last issue.
Most packagers don't like shipping more than one version of PostGIS per PostgreSQL major which leaves users to resort to symlinking  or building their own older postgis.

So getting rid of the minor was a way to achieve the same effect as symlinking in a way that is easy for users and palatable to packagers.

Thanks,
Regina