After creating a groups/role/permission structure for a project site in
MOSS07, I was dissapointed to find this info was not preserved when I saved
the site as a template and tried to use it in another site.

Instead I had the option to inherit or create new permissions, and when
choosing 'create' I could only create Reader, Contributor and owner groups.

Can this be modified as our template calls for 6, not 3 'standard' groups?

I have a site will well defined permission structure that is identical but
unique to each site. ie each site has a <site project administrators> group
but different members for each site therefore requiring unique groups per
site.

But the sites are identical in list and library structure so can be template
driven. Ideally when a new template is used to create a site, the permission
structure is set at site creation time and not afterwards..

I assume then I will need to write a feature that sets the permisisons
separately after a new site has been created based on a template..

Can someone clarify?

P..