Basically there are 3 things to take care of:

* Have the right version of the linux kernel headers
* Have and use the right version of the compiler gcc
* Make a sym link to the directory of the linux headers

The VMware Tools are already installed in the Debian Appliance that you can download from this site. Here is the critical part of the installation log:

boot and log in as root
check for the kernel version in a terminal
uname -r
which in this case is: 2.6.16-2-k7 (match the headers package and the sym link, see below)
go online in host system
Synaptic
change repositories from cdrom to ftp.debian.org and security.debian.org
reload
mark packages for install:
gcc-4.0
linux-headers-2.6.16-2-k7
apply
go offline in host system

install VMwaretools Tools 5.5.2
- point the cdrom to the external linux.iso file (from a VMware 5.5.2 installation, 4.8.06)
- copy the VMwareTools-5.5.2-29772.tar.gz file to the /tmp and extract it there
- delete the .tar.gz file
- change the current directory
cd /tmp/vmware-tools-distrib
- make a symlink:
ln -s /usr/src/linux-headers-2.6.16-2-k7 /usr/src/linux
- change the gcc version to use:
export CC=/usr/bin/gcc-4.0
- start the installer with
./vmware-install.pl
accept everything with enter
- video resolution: choose 3 instead of 2 (1024*768)
- log out and in again to activate XOrg changes

You can see in the above how to install a different version of VMwaretools than the one your current VMware Workstation or Server has. Just don't use the menu item "Install VMwaretools" of the Workstation but point the virtual cdrom directly to a linux.iso file of another VMware installation.

If something goes wrong it may help to have a look at the dialog that is produced by the VMware tools installer in a terminal during a correct installation


Reference :http://www.visoracle.com/download/de...waretools.html