It was a bit of a struggle to get everything working... but here's how I did it.
1. Install VMWare 2.0.0 under Ubuntu Linux (due to kernel changes, the older version of vmware could no longer compile the kernel modules (asm/semaphore.h changed to linux/semaphore.h and the kill_proc function was removed from the kernel). 1. Browse to vmware's localhost web page and install the Firefox/Mozilla plugin for it, restart firefox. 1. Upgrade VMWare hardware version of my pre-existing Windows vmware image, add USB hardware if not there, let Windows hardware detect and install drivers as necessary, reboot if needed. 1. `mount -t usbfs none /proc/bus/usb -o devgid=500,busgid=500,busmode=664,devmode=664` (I set the devgid and busgid to my uid, which was the admin account in vmware. Maybe you use root and don't need to do something, or maybe it was just strange for me.. no idea.) 1. Browse to http://europe.nokia.com/A4579163 Nokia's website and install the Nokia Software Updater. Reboot windows. 1. Plug in the Nokia phone, select Nokia mode (as opposed to storage mode or another mode).. mount the device in the VMware image. Any read/write errors here are probably permission related in regard to /proc/bus/usb/. 1. Shutdown Windows, find the *vmware.log* file and do `"grep path:" vmware.log`.. find the entry corresponding to the Nokia phone. Copy & Paste the Numbers/Numbers after the path: bit. (maybe it's 1/2/3 for you or just 1/2) 1. Edit the .vmx file in the same directory, add `usb.autoConnect.device0 = "path:THOSE/NUMBERS"`. I also added `usb.generic.skipsetconfig = "true"` but I'm not sure that's necessary. You are actually binding that particular USB port on the host to that VMware image. You may want to undo this afterwards. 1. Start up the Windows guest again. The phone should now connect automatically. 1. Run the Nokia Software Updater.. cross your fingers.. if it doesn't work, uninstall and reinstall the software. Apparently the USB device drivers get screwed up often enough and this fixes them - at least, it did for me. 1. The Nokia Software Updater SHOULD now detect your phone.. if it doesn't, it's probably the device driver.. uninstall and reinstall Nokia Software Updater. It should find any new firmware for your phone and commence installing it.
The reason why you need to use usb autoconnect with the path option is because (it would seem) that the phone reboots into a firmware update mode and changes its identity.. and if it doesn't respond fast enough, then the Nokia Software Updater aborts (causing you to wonder whether you just turned your phone into a brick - luckily it wasn't the case for me).
Good luck!
(For the record, I ended up embarking on this journey when the Nokia Software Updater just stalled at the start screen on my girlfriend's laptop - a common problem, google would suggest.. Please Nokia, give us a Linux firmware updater!)