You will be building kernel specific files so you need to have the proper header files installed for your kernel along with something to compile it.

sudo apt-get install linux-headers-`uname -r` build-essential
sudo apt-get install xinetd gcc-3.4

If you are using 64 bits system, you have to install 32bit compatibility files

sudo apt-get install ia32-libs

Download VMware Server 1.0.6

Download the patch file vmware-any-any-update-116.tgz

Extract the downloaded files

tar zxf vmware-any-any-update-116.tgz
tar xzf VMware-server-1.0.6-91891.tar.gz

Run the VMware Server installer

cd vmware-server-distrib
sudo ./vmware-install.pl

You will be prompted to answer some questions. Press Enter to select the default answer. When it reaches the point that requires you to run vmware-config.pl, type No. The installer will exit. Next, apply the patch

cd vmware-any-any-update116
sudo ./runme.pl

This time, press Enter for all the questions and enter Yes to run the vmware-comfig.pl. Once it has finished compiling, you should now see the VMware console in your Applications->Other. The first time you run vmware use the console by typing vmware in the terminal. If there are any errors it will tell us. If it says it can’t find some files all we need to do is copy them from the /usr/lib directory.

sudo cp /usr/lib/libpng12.so.0 /usr/lib/vmware/lib/libpng12.so.0/
sudo cp /lib/libgcc_s.so.1 /usr/lib/vmware/lib/libgcc_s.so.1/

For 64 bit users

sudo ln -s /usr/lib32 /usr/l32
sudo sed -i -e ’s/usr\/lib/usr\/l32/g’ /usr/lib32/gtk-2.0/2.10.0/loader-files.d/libgtk2.0-0.loaders
sudo sed -i -e ’s/usr\/lib/usr\/l32/g’ /usr/lib32/libgdk_pixbuf-2.0.so.0.1200.9

That’s it. Your VMware Server should be working now.