keyboard failure

[EAM]

I have been getting a keyboard failure message on boot up but when I actually get into the desktop, the keyboard works but the mouse doesn't. However, if I boot up in recovery mode, both work. I'm not sure what's wrong with the keyboard but why would it work in both regular and recovery mode but the mouse doesn't work in regular mode only? Thanks

[EAM]

My keyboard failure was a stuck key but I still would like to know why recovery mode allowed both keyboard and mouse to work. PS/2 for both. thanks

[EAM]

Ok, so obviously I not only talk to myself but answer myself as well. Probably because Linux isolates the offending key and disables it?? Then makes whatever necessary adjustments to allow both keyboard and mouse to work. This works in recovery mode but not in regular mode. Not sure why and what the mouse has to do with a keyboard failure but it also caused an issue with the mouse on a windows machine. In any event, keyboards costing from around $9+, and mostly they don't really break, just keys get stuck, I've spent way too long on this already. So, I'm now ending this discussion with myself