Method for controlling a system for distributing gas cylinders comprising: - at least one display unit comprising a plurality of gas cylinder racks, - a terminal for controlling the or each display unit suitable for controlling the opening of a rack, with the terminal comprising a processing unit and a memory having a file for managing the stock of gas cylinders, wherein the control terminal and the or each respective display unit are remote and connected by a data link, said processing unit being able to control the opening of a rack for the delivery of a full cylinder or the return of an empty cylinder, the method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps: - automatically detecting the adding of a display unit in the distribution system, comprising the emission of an identification signal by the added display unit destined for the control terminal, or the removing of a display unit from said system, comprising the determination of the absence of the identification signal of said display unit during a period of time greater than a predetermined duration, - determining the number of display racks added or removed after the detection step, and - updating the management file after the determination step, with at least one step from among the steps of detecting, determining and updating comprising an exchange of data through the data link between the control terminal and the display unit, the data exchange comprising the emission of a signal by the display unit and the processing by the terminal of the signal transmitted by the display unit, and in that the control terminal and the or each display unit each comprise a radio-electric transmitter-receiver (26, 50), the data link for the data exchange being a radio-electric link via said radio-electric transceivers (26, 50). - at least one display unit comprising a plurality of gas cylinder racks, - a terminal for controlling the or each display unit suitable for controlling the opening of a rack, with the terminal comprising a processing unit and a memory having a file for managing the stock of gas cylinders, wherein the control terminal and the or each respective display unit are remote and connected by a data link, said processing unit being able to control the opening of a rack for the delivery of a full cylinder or the return of an empty cylinder, - automatically detecting the adding of a display unit in the distribution system, comprising the emission of an identification signal by the added display unit destined for the control terminal, or the removing of a display unit from said system, comprising the determination of the absence of the identification signal of said display unit during a period of time greater than a predetermined duration, - determining the number of display racks added or removed after the detection step, and - updating the management file after the determination step, with at least one step from among the steps of detecting, determining and updating comprising an exchange of data through the data link between the control terminal and the display unit, the data exchange comprising the emission of a signal by the display unit and the processing by the terminal of the signal transmitted by the display unit, and in that the control terminal and the or each display unit each comprise a radio-electric transmitter-receiver (26, 50), the data link for the data exchange being a radio-electric link via said radio-electric transceivers (26, 50).