If you are using an unsupported Linux distribution or an unsupported (usually too new) kernel, you might need the any-any-update.
Text below this line was written by Petr Vandrovec. Original: http://communities.vmware.com/thread/26693.
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What is vmware-any-any-update ?
First, if you rely on support from VMware, or you are paying for it, just stop reading here. Unless VMware support told you to download that file and gave you instructions how to apply it, then DO NOT APPLY it. VMware support will not help you if you are running on unsupported host, and I'll not help you either. Now, if you can help yourself, you can continue reading. But you have been warned.
If you find that VMware, VMware Express, VMware Workstation or VMware GSX Server does not work on your Linux host, it is probably time to upgrade your VMware software. So before doing anything make sure that you are using latest product available for your license: VMware 2.0.4, VMware Express 2.0.4, VMware Workstation 3.2.1, VMware GSX Server 1.0.3, VMware GSX Server 2.5.1, VMware Workstation 4.5.2 or VMware GSX Server 3.1.0. Maybe it will fix problem for you, and you'll not have to apply vmware-any-any-update at all. It is especially important to upgrade from WS 3.2.0 to WS 3.2.1.
If you have still problem with building kernel modules, or if VMware application refuses to run complaining that your kernel is too new, it is time to download this patch. You can find latest version of patch at http://platan.vc.cvut.cz/ftp/pub/vmware , or at its mirror ftp://ftp.cvut.cz/vmware
Filename of patch has form "vmware-<product>-<version>-update<sequence>.tar.gz" where <product> is currently "any" (it was ws/gsx in past; maybe it will be host/tools in future), <version> is currently also "any" (it was build number long ago when patch was not that universal), and <sequence> is just number starting at 1 and incremented with each release.
Download newest file which matches system you are using: currently it is simple, just grab latest vmware-any-any-update*.tar.gz file you can download.
After downloading unpack file into some directory, enter that directory and run "./runme.pl". After doing that run "vmware-config.pl", or, if you installed update on system which is supported by your product (though I do not understand why you installed product in this case) "vmware-config.pl -compile". Note that while original modules from VMware do not need C++ compiler, my updates need it, and won't build without - it is price I had to pay to get support for all these products from one source.
After that your kernel should not complain about problems with kernel modules anymore, and everything should run as on supported host.
And some general advices: if you are having problems with starting your '99 product on your '04 distribution, you should try 'LD_ASSUME_KERNEL=2.2.20 vmware' instead of pure 'vmware'. And make sure that your /tmp filesystem is not mounted with 'noexec' and that you have sufficient space there (several gigs at least).
That should be everything needed. If you want to know what really changed between releases, you can download older versions of patch from 'obsolete' subdirectory of http://platan.vc.cvut.cz/ftp/pub/vmware. It contains all updates I ever released - since first one, which is more than 5 years old.
Petr Vandrovec, Prauge, Oct 30, 2004
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NB: The official any-any-update was last updated on 28-Nov-2007 and there have been several linux kernel releases since then. For kernels 2.6.24 and newer the official updates will not work. There is now a fork of the any-any-update available at the vmkernelnewbies group. They have a download area here: http://groups.google.com/group/vmkernelnewbies/files
