[WBEL-users] Building a new kernel

[reboant]

Hi guys finally got around to installing WBEL but am having a problem
building a new kernel (2.6.11-cko to be exact).Personally I really don't
care about the eye candy such as splash screen.If I omit it from the
kernel at build time can I get rid of the initrd image or does it
contain something else that I may be unaware of?
I tried a "make" and "make_modules install" and listed the kernel in
grub but ended up with a nasty kernel panic.Please excuse my ignorance
because I haven't used anything related to redhat in years and have no
clue where to start.Would someone please be kind enough to give me a hand?

Thanks
Robert