Are the "in"s and "on"s in the following grammatically correct: "We will run the executable in the dev environment on machine dev-linux-07"?

Some colleagues think it would be more grammatically correct to read: "We will run the executable on the dev environment on machine dev-linux-07"

Solution 1:

Your coworkers are incorrect; it should be in.

Dev environments are used to either protect your code from the public, or to protect the public from the code, or both. Functionally, an environment is an isolated capsule where you can do experiments with little risk. So I believe this to be an accurate use of the word "environment":

environment noun

1 : the circumstances, objects, or conditions by which one is surrounded

The word "surrounded" in the definition is telling: you'd never be on your surroundings. You are in your surroundings.

Note: I believe the M-W definition 4 ("a computer interface...") is a red herring. Despite that the word in your sentence is being used to describe something involving a computer, your statement is not referring to the interface. Generally speaking, an environment comprises the toolsets and resources available to a process that is initiated via some interface. If your sentence referred to an interface, I think the correct word would be via or through; still not on.