Installing vmware-server on Debian Etch running Kernel 2.6.17
Following Can't compile vmnet.ko on (Debian) Linux kernel 2.6.17 and Vmware and 2.6.17 you have to patch vmnet.tar and vmmon.tar and add MODULE_AUTHOR("VMWare"); to the driver.c files in each tarball. In case you machine is an amd64 or em64t you might also want to take a look at Install VMWare Server on Debian AMD64/EM64T! for the necessary 32bit stuff.