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 , the data link for the data exchange being a radio-electric link via said radio-electric transceivers . - 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 , the data link for the data exchange being a radio-electric link via said radio-electric transceivers . <EOS>