[SYSCTL] Installing VMXnet on Debian Etch (4.0)

# Getting the right packages if using a netinst (with a 2.6.18-4-686 kernel)
apt-get install linux-kernel-headers linux-headers-2.6.18-4-686 make psmisc gcc

# Creating a symlink so that the vmware script finds everything easily
cd /usr/src && ln -s linux-headers-2.6.18-4-686 linux

# Installing VMWare Tools (no SSH, console only)
./vmware-install.pl
(Answer "no" to the vmhgfs question, so that you won't build it (it's useless in most cases))

# the vmxnet module is compiled...

# Now we're doing what they are telling us to do...
/etc/init.d/networking stop
rmmod pcnet32
rmmod vmxnet
depmod -a
modprobe vmxnet
Don't /etc/init.d/networking start ... it's useless

# And this is what they are not telling us to do :
Stop the VMWare...
Edit "Other Linux 2.6.x kernel.vmx" (or whatever .vmx you have) :
Add the following line under ethernet0.present = "TRUE" :
ethernet0.virtualDev = "vmxnet"

Reboot the Linux, lspci and lsmod will show you no pcnet32 device, only the vmxnet one.

Enjoy!