I found the solution, at last to my keyboard mapping problem.

I expect this can be used by you.

http://nthrbldyblg.blogspot.com/2008/06/vmware-and-fubar-keyboard-effect.html

Look just at Solutions 3 and 2.
Ignore the Solution 1, because is about the classical vmware problem of losing ctrl, alt, caps... in the host machine SO after come back from "full screen" = ctrl+alt+enter. Which is solved executing setxkbmap command.

Solution 3 propose to put in the /etc/vmware/config or ~/.vmware/config the line:

xkeymap.nokeycodeMap = true

Perfect!!
I restarted vmware and I it showed an annoying message, saying that my keyboard would be the same as the host machine.
Exactly what I expected!!

If this does not work for you, you can try Solution 2 (and define key by key inside the guess SO.
Good Luck!

Use it, and shall be master!

Hollam!

Be careful!!

This "solution" produces an annoying message every time you try to go to Unity, which freezes vmware (both player or workstation).

Read this:

http://communities.vmware.com/thread/186538

Solution to this new problem: Instead to add "xkeymap.nokeycodeMap = true" to config file, try to set the keymap explicitly.

Use it, and shall be master!

I had this issue running vmware 2.0.1 under Ubuntu 9.04 desktop, with an XP guest. Solution #3 using the ~/.vmware/config file worked for me. I had to create the file. after restarting vmware all keys worked normally under xp, but then "function" keys like CTRL+ALT+ARROW to switch desktops would not work. a machine reboot solved that.

Thanks!!!