Am now trying to make my GNOME as functional as possible rather than making it decorative. So far I’ve disabled Compiz-Fusion, keep the default optimized theme on, reduced the menus into showing only what I need and now I’m attempting to stop GNOME’s minimize and maximize effects.
I noticed that minimizing windows in GNOME (No Compiz-Fusion enabled) had this silly style of showing a black border closing down.
Something like this, when captured in action:
Its not much I know but being Linux, it had to be flexible enough to get that minor distraction removed too. And since it was a minimize-effect, it had to relate to Metacity, the default Window Border manager in GNOME.
After a little searching in the Configuration Editor (gconf-editor), I found the key which not only disabled this tiny effect but also produced a whole new effect called ‘Wireframes’. I can’t capture them as a screen-shot for unknown reasons but this new thing also shows the scale of the Window, just like Compiz-Fusion’s scale plug-in, only without it!
Try it by following the below:
1: Press ALT+F2 and type “gconf-editor” without quotes.
2: In the dialog box that appears, expand the apps tree and under it, the metacity tree and under the it, open the general folder. (i.e. Navigate to Apps / Metacity / General).
3: Select the key called – “Reduced Resources”.
4: You’re done! Try Min/Max a window and then try Moving it around to see Wireframes in action.
Ahh, long time since an over-hyped post! 
[...] in the blogosphere, Harsh shares how to turn off the window minimise animation using gconf-editor, and elsewhere there’ssome more talk from people who are switching back to Metacity from the [...]
…for the adult in you » 2007-11-15: xterm, glib, api
16 Nov 07 at 6:25 pm
You can get rid of those ugly wireframes easily …
In gconf-editor go to “desktop/gnome/interface/accessibility” and check it.
Manas
25 Nov 07 at 9:10 pm
Um, I want it
Harsh
25 Nov 07 at 9:26 pm
For me they look ugly.
Manas
25 Nov 07 at 10:34 pm
Heh they are good while I use GIMP or re-scale windows.
Harsh
25 Nov 07 at 11:01 pm
/apps/desktop/gnome/interface/enable_animations
disable that instead, and you will keep the window’s contents when dragging them.
Matt
22 Feb 09 at 3:42 am
thanks works perfect
ted
10 Jun 09 at 1:01 am
Excellent!!!
I do like Gnome but this minimize effect isn’t good for me.
Thanks.
humberto
24 Jun 09 at 12:36 am
@Harsh thanks for the original post and thanks @Matt for the ‘/apps/desktop/gnome/interface/enable_animations’ suggestion!
josh
1 Sep 09 at 9:30 pm