is there a way to set it so that double-cliking on the title bar would make it window shade instead of maximize the window ?

What window manager?

WIndows setting in GNOME Control Center? (not sure, I'm currently using openbox with LXDE)

^ thx, but i dont see a windows setting in gnome-control-center .

in ccsm(general) there is a shaded key-binding but you have to use the keyboard.

Try looking for hidden Metacity settings using gconf-editor.

^ this seems promising:
/apps/metacity/action_double_click_titlebar = toggle_maximize

not sure what the new value should be ?

edit:
/apps/metacity/action_double_click_titlebar = toggle_shade

did it, thanks.

^ is there any plug-in that would make it so that when the mouse cursor hits the top edge, it would continue from the bottom (or left edge to rite edge) ?

also how to make it so that the windows explode in a cloud of smoke when i hit the close button ?

I don't know.

Metacity is neither 3D, compositing, nor hardware-accelerated. Use Compiz if you want effects.

Umm...I think he is using Compiz. He was just asking about how to rotate the desktop cube with a single mouse button a few posts back.

As for making the windows "explode in a cloud of smoke", I think the closest thing you can get to that is the Burn effect in the Animations Add-On plugin. You could try changing the fire color to light grey and tweaking the particle size/life/slowdown/etc. to make it look more like smoke.

EDIT: there's also a "Fire Smoke" checkbox, if that helps. :\

But in the last few posts he asked questions about configuring Metacity.

I believe metacity can indeed do compositing. Gconf-editor is your friend (but not mine today, I'm running LXDE).

But not eye-candy effects.

Letting out my inner child...desperately need to if I'm gonna get over my whole existential issue.

Normally I don't *do* light themes, but the only dark GTK theme that comes with Xfce is "Xfce-dusk, and it just makes this look ugly.

Please ignore the abrupt cut-off of the squirrel's tail...I hacked this background together in GIMP in like 2 minutes so...yeah.

Bonus points to the one who can name the squirrel...*patiently awaits bashing after having said that *

EDIT: Like it says in the screenshot, please don't judge me based on it...I'm just trying to lighten my overall mood, starting with my computing environment (yeah, like that makes sense ). I was hesitant to post this at first because I was thinking people might think I'm weird.

I suppose I will not judge you based upon the screenshot, but I must say that it induces a wave of pain that starts with my eyes and goes swiftly down my spine ...

I think it looks nice, actually. Except for that nasty orange terminal window.