diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/info.py b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/info.py
index 5e667f4876..dd56c25451 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/cmd/info.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/cmd/info.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: (Apache-2.0 OR MIT)
 
+import sys
 import textwrap
 from itertools import zip_longest
 
@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@
 import spack.install_test
 import spack.repo
 import spack.spec
+import spack.version
 from spack.package_base import preferred_version
 
 description = "get detailed information on a particular package"
@@ -53,6 +55,7 @@ def setup_parser(subparser):
         ("--tags", print_tags.__doc__),
         ("--tests", print_tests.__doc__),
         ("--virtuals", print_virtuals.__doc__),
+        ("--variants-by-name", "list variants in strict name order; don't group by condition"),
     ]
     for opt, help_comment in options:
         subparser.add_argument(opt, action="store_true", help=help_comment)
@@ -77,35 +80,10 @@ def license(s):
 
 
 class VariantFormatter:
-    def __init__(self, variants):
-        self.variants = variants
+    def __init__(self, pkg):
+        self.variants = pkg.variants
         self.headers = ("Name [Default]", "When", "Allowed values", "Description")
 
-        # Formats
-        fmt_name = "{0} [{1}]"
-
-        # Initialize column widths with the length of the
-        # corresponding headers, as they cannot be shorter
-        # than that
-        self.column_widths = [len(x) for x in self.headers]
-
-        # Expand columns based on max line lengths
-        for k, e in variants.items():
-            v, w = e
-            candidate_max_widths = (
-                len(fmt_name.format(k, self.default(v))),  # Name [Default]
-                len(str(w)),
-                len(v.allowed_values),  # Allowed values
-                len(v.description),  # Description
-            )
-
-            self.column_widths = (
-                max(self.column_widths[0], candidate_max_widths[0]),
-                max(self.column_widths[1], candidate_max_widths[1]),
-                max(self.column_widths[2], candidate_max_widths[2]),
-                max(self.column_widths[3], candidate_max_widths[3]),
-            )
-
         # Don't let name or possible values be less than max widths
         _, cols = tty.terminal_size()
         max_name = min(self.column_widths[0], 30)
@@ -137,6 +115,8 @@ def default(self, v):
     def lines(self):
         if not self.variants:
             yield "    None"
+            return
+
         else:
             yield "    " + self.fmt % self.headers
             underline = tuple([w * "=" for w in self.column_widths])
@@ -271,15 +251,165 @@ def print_tests(pkg):
         color.cprint("    None")
 
 
-def print_variants(pkg):
+def _fmt_value(v):
+    if v is None or isinstance(v, bool):
+        return str(v).lower()
+    else:
+        return str(v)
+
+
+def _fmt_name_and_default(variant):
+    """Print colorized name [default] for a variant."""
+    return color.colorize(f"@c{{{variant.name}}} @C{{[{_fmt_value(variant.default)}]}}")
+
+
+def _fmt_when(when, indent):
+    return color.colorize(f"{indent * ' '}@B{{when}} {color.cescape(when)}")
+
+
+def _fmt_variant_description(variant, width, indent):
+    """Format a variant's description, preserving explicit line breaks."""
+    return "\n".join(
+        textwrap.fill(
+            line, width=width, initial_indent=indent * " ", subsequent_indent=indent * " "
+        )
+        for line in variant.description.split("\n")
+    )
+
+
+def _fmt_variant(variant, max_name_default_len, indent, when=None, out=None):
+    out = out or sys.stdout
+
+    _, cols = tty.terminal_size()
+
+    name_and_default = _fmt_name_and_default(variant)
+    name_default_len = color.clen(name_and_default)
+
+    values = variant.values
+    if not isinstance(variant.values, (tuple, list, spack.variant.DisjointSetsOfValues)):
+        values = [variant.values]
+
+    # put 'none' first, sort the rest by value
+    sorted_values = sorted(values, key=lambda v: (v != "none", v))
+
+    pad = 4  # min padding between 'name [default]' and values
+    value_indent = (indent + max_name_default_len + pad) * " "  # left edge of values
+
+    # This preserves any formatting (i.e., newlines) from how the description was
+    # written in package.py, but still wraps long lines for small terminals.
+    # This allows some packages to provide detailed help on their variants (see, e.g., gasnet).
+    formatted_values = "\n".join(
+        textwrap.wrap(
+            f"{', '.join(_fmt_value(v) for v in sorted_values)}",
+            width=cols - 2,
+            initial_indent=value_indent,
+            subsequent_indent=value_indent,
+        )
+    )
+    formatted_values = formatted_values[indent + name_default_len + pad :]
+
+    # name [default]   value1, value2, value3, ...
+    padding = pad * " "
+    color.cprint(f"{indent * ' '}{name_and_default}{padding}@c{{{formatted_values}}}", stream=out)
+
+    # when <spec>
+    description_indent = indent + 4
+    if when is not None and when != spack.spec.Spec():
+        out.write(_fmt_when(when, description_indent - 2))
+        out.write("\n")
+
+    # description, preserving explicit line breaks from the way it's written in the package file
+    out.write(_fmt_variant_description(variant, cols - 2, description_indent))
+    out.write("\n")
+
+
+def _variants_by_name_when(pkg):
+    """Adaptor to get variants keyed by { name: { when: { [Variant...] } }."""
+    # TODO: replace with pkg.variants_by_name(when=True) when unified directive dicts are merged.
+    variants = {}
+    for name, (variant, whens) in pkg.variants.items():
+        for when in whens:
+            variants.setdefault(name, {}).setdefault(when, []).append(variant)
+    return variants
+
+
+def _variants_by_when_name(pkg):
+    """Adaptor to get variants keyed by { when: { name: Variant } }"""
+    # TODO: replace with pkg.variants when unified directive dicts are merged.
+    variants = {}
+    for name, (variant, whens) in pkg.variants.items():
+        for when in whens:
+            variants.setdefault(when, {})[name] = variant
+    return variants
+
+
+def _print_variants_header(pkg):
     """output variants"""
 
+    if not pkg.variants:
+        print("    None")
+        return
+
     color.cprint("")
     color.cprint(section_title("Variants:"))
 
-    formatter = VariantFormatter(pkg.variants)
-    for line in formatter.lines:
-        color.cprint(color.cescape(line))
+    variants_by_name = _variants_by_name_when(pkg)
+
+    # Calculate the max length of the "name [default]" part of the variant display
+    # This lets us know where to print variant values.
+    max_name_default_len = max(
+        color.clen(_fmt_name_and_default(variant))
+        for name, when_variants in variants_by_name.items()
+        for variants in when_variants.values()
+        for variant in variants
+    )
+
+    return max_name_default_len, variants_by_name
+
+
+def _unconstrained_ver_first(item):
+    """sort key that puts specs with open version ranges first"""
+    spec, _ = item
+    return (spack.version.any_version not in spec.versions, spec)
+
+
+def print_variants_grouped_by_when(pkg):
+    max_name_default_len, _ = _print_variants_header(pkg)
+
+    indent = 4
+    variants = _variants_by_when_name(pkg)
+    for when, variants_by_name in sorted(variants.items(), key=_unconstrained_ver_first):
+        padded_values = max_name_default_len + 4
+        start_indent = indent
+
+        if when != spack.spec.Spec():
+            sys.stdout.write("\n")
+            sys.stdout.write(_fmt_when(when, indent))
+            sys.stdout.write("\n")
+
+            # indent names slightly inside 'when', but line up values
+            padded_values -= 2
+            start_indent += 2
+
+        for name, variant in sorted(variants_by_name.items()):
+            _fmt_variant(variant, padded_values, start_indent, None, out=sys.stdout)
+
+
+def print_variants_by_name(pkg):
+    max_name_default_len, variants_by_name = _print_variants_header(pkg)
+    max_name_default_len += 4
+
+    indent = 4
+    for name, when_variants in variants_by_name.items():
+        for when, variants in sorted(when_variants.items(), key=_unconstrained_ver_first):
+            for variant in variants:
+                _fmt_variant(variant, max_name_default_len, indent, when, out=sys.stdout)
+                sys.stdout.write("\n")
+
+
+def print_variants(pkg):
+    """output variants"""
+    print_variants_grouped_by_when(pkg)
 
 
 def print_versions(pkg):
@@ -300,18 +430,24 @@ def print_versions(pkg):
         pad = padder(pkg.versions, 4)
 
         preferred = preferred_version(pkg)
-        url = ""
-        if pkg.has_code:
-            url = fs.for_package_version(pkg, preferred)
 
+        def get_url(version):
+            try:
+                return fs.for_package_version(pkg, version)
+            except spack.fetch_strategy.InvalidArgsError:
+                return "No URL"
+
+        url = get_url(preferred) if pkg.has_code else ""
         line = version("    {0}".format(pad(preferred))) + color.cescape(url)
-        color.cprint(line)
+        color.cwrite(line)
+
+        print()
 
         safe = []
         deprecated = []
         for v in reversed(sorted(pkg.versions)):
             if pkg.has_code:
-                url = fs.for_package_version(pkg, v)
+                url = get_url(v)
             if pkg.versions[v].get("deprecated", False):
                 deprecated.append((v, url))
             else:
@@ -384,7 +520,12 @@ def info(parser, args):
     else:
         color.cprint("    None")
 
-    color.cprint(section_title("Homepage: ") + pkg.homepage)
+    if getattr(pkg, "homepage"):
+        color.cprint(section_title("Homepage: ") + pkg.homepage)
+
+    _print_variants = (
+        print_variants_by_name if args.variants_by_name else print_variants_grouped_by_when
+    )
 
     # Now output optional information in expected order
     sections = [
@@ -392,7 +533,7 @@ def info(parser, args):
         (args.all or args.detectable, print_detectable),
         (args.all or args.tags, print_tags),
         (args.all or not args.no_versions, print_versions),
-        (args.all or not args.no_variants, print_variants),
+        (args.all or not args.no_variants, _print_variants),
         (args.all or args.phases, print_phases),
         (args.all or not args.no_dependencies, print_dependencies),
         (args.all or args.virtuals, print_virtuals),
diff --git a/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/info.py b/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/info.py
index c4528f9852..5748323d8c 100644
--- a/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/info.py
+++ b/lib/spack/spack/test/cmd/info.py
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ def parser():
 def print_buffer(monkeypatch):
     buffer = []
 
-    def _print(*args):
+    def _print(*args, **kwargs):
         buffer.extend(args)
 
     monkeypatch.setattr(spack.cmd.info.color, "cprint", _print, raising=False)
diff --git a/share/spack/spack-completion.bash b/share/spack/spack-completion.bash
index 20bb886b10..e84fe10134 100755
--- a/share/spack/spack-completion.bash
+++ b/share/spack/spack-completion.bash
@@ -1267,7 +1267,7 @@ _spack_help() {
 _spack_info() {
     if $list_options
     then
-        SPACK_COMPREPLY="-h --help -a --all --detectable --maintainers --no-dependencies --no-variants --no-versions --phases --tags --tests --virtuals"
+        SPACK_COMPREPLY="-h --help -a --all --detectable --maintainers --no-dependencies --no-variants --no-versions --phases --tags --tests --virtuals --variants-by-name"
     else
         _all_packages
     fi
diff --git a/share/spack/spack-completion.fish b/share/spack/spack-completion.fish
index 769768c04c..d660c251af 100755
--- a/share/spack/spack-completion.fish
+++ b/share/spack/spack-completion.fish
@@ -1855,7 +1855,7 @@ complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command help' -l spec -f -a guide
 complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command help' -l spec -d 'help on the package specification syntax'
 
 # spack info
-set -g __fish_spack_optspecs_spack_info h/help a/all detectable maintainers no-dependencies no-variants no-versions phases tags tests virtuals
+set -g __fish_spack_optspecs_spack_info h/help a/all detectable maintainers no-dependencies no-variants no-versions phases tags tests virtuals variants-by-name
 complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command_pos 0 info' -f -a '(__fish_spack_packages)'
 complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command info' -s h -l help -f -a help
 complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command info' -s h -l help -d 'show this help message and exit'
@@ -1879,6 +1879,8 @@ complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command info' -l tests -f -a tests
 complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command info' -l tests -d 'output relevant build-time and stand-alone tests'
 complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command info' -l virtuals -f -a virtuals
 complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command info' -l virtuals -d 'output virtual packages'
+complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command info' -l variants-by-name -f -a variants_by_name
+complete -c spack -n '__fish_spack_using_command info' -l variants-by-name -d 'list variants in strict name order; don\'t group by condition'
 
 # spack install
 set -g __fish_spack_optspecs_spack_install h/help only= u/until= j/jobs= overwrite fail-fast keep-prefix keep-stage dont-restage use-cache no-cache cache-only use-buildcache= include-build-deps no-check-signature show-log-on-error source n/no-checksum deprecated v/verbose fake only-concrete add no-add f/file= clean dirty test= log-format= log-file= help-cdash cdash-upload-url= cdash-build= cdash-site= cdash-track= cdash-buildstamp= y/yes-to-all U/fresh reuse reuse-deps