To install the VMware v5.5.1.19175 (VMware 5.5.1 build 19175) on Debian:

cd vmware-distrib

ln -s vmware-distrib vmware-workstation-5.5.1_19175
cd !$
NAME= checkinstall -D vmware-install.pl

	do not run the /usr/bin/vmware-config.pl script when the ./vmware-install.pl script asks you whether you want to configure VMware for the first time.

Note: the generated Debian package was wrongly versioned as 4.5.2_8848.

The Debian package module-init-tools needs to be installed to load the vmmon and vmnet kernel modules for VMware into the linux kernel.

ii module-init-tools  tools for managing Linux kernel modules

install the kernel headers corresponding to your running kernel:

$ acsb linux-headers-`uname -r`
linux-headers-2.6.17-grml - Header files related to Linux kernel, specifically,

api linux-headers-`uname -r`

update-rc.d vmware defaults 90 08

$ grep vmware /etc/runlevel.conf
08      0,1,6   -               /etc/init.d/vmware
90      -       2,3,4,5         /etc/init.d/vmware

rm -rv /etc/rc{,0,1,2,3,4,5,6}.d/*vmware

mkdir /etc/rc{,0,1,2,3,4,5,6}.d
 dir -d /etc/rc*.d

cd vmware-distrib/
vmware-install.pl

Note: do not run the /usr/bin/vmware-config.pl script at the end of ./vmware-install.pl script.

update-rc.d vmware defaults 90 08
rm -r /etc/rc{,0,1,2,3,4,5,6}.d/

cd vmware-distrib/

% vmware-install.pl
[...]
make: Leaving directory `/vars/tmp/vmware-config0/vmmon-only'
The module loads perfectly in the running kernel.

Do you want networking for your virtual machines? (yes/no/help) [yes]

Configuring a bridged network for vmnet0.

The following bridged networks have been defined:

All your ethernet interfaces are already bridged.

Do you want to be able to use NAT networking in your virtual machines? (yes/no)
[yes] n

Do you want to be able to use host-only networking in your virtual machines?
[no]

Extracting the sources of the vmnet module.
Building the vmnet module.

Using standalone build system.
make: Entering directory `/vars/tmp/vmware-config0/vmnet-only'
make: Leaving directory `/vars/tmp/vmware-config0/vmnet-only'
The module loads perfectly in the running kernel.

Starting VMware services:
   Virtual machine monitor                                             done
   Virtual ethernet                                                    done
   Bridged networking on /dev/vmnet0                                   done

The configuration of VMware Workstation 5.0.0 build-13124 for Linux for this
running kernel completed successfully.

You can now run VMware Workstation by invoking the following command:
"/usr/bin/vmware".

debfoster linux-headers-2.6.16-grml
rm /usr/src/linux
ln -sf /usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.16-grml/ /usr/src/linux