[asmuser@test dbs]$ sqlplus / as sysdba

SQL*Plus: Release 10.2.0.1.0 - Production on Sat Sep 12 05:59:04 2009

Copyright (c) 1982, 2005, Oracle.  All rights reserved.

Connected to an idle instance.

SQL> startup
ORA-01078: failure in processing system parameters
LRM-00109: could not open parameter file '/u01/app/oracle/product/10.2.0/asminstance/dbs/initasminstance.ora'
SQL>

[asmuser@test dbs]$ pwd
/u01/app/oracle/product/10.2.0/asminstance/dbs
[asmuser@test dbs]$ ls -ltr
total 48
-rw-r-----  1 asmuser oinstall  8385 Sep 11  1998 init.ora
-rw-r-----  1 asmuser oinstall 12920 May  3  2001 initdw.ora
-rw-r-----  1 asmuser oinstall  1536 Sep 12 04:31 orapw+ASM
-rw-rw----  1 asmuser oinstall    24 Sep 12 04:31 lk+ASM
-rw-rw----  1 asmuser oinstall  1544 Sep 12 04:31 hc_+ASM.dat
-rw-rw----  1 asmuser oinstall   704 Sep 12 04:31 ab_+ASM.dat
-rw-r-----  1 asmuser oinstall  1536 Sep 12 04:31 spfile+ASM.ora

# .bash_profile

# Get the aliases and functions
if [ -f ~/.bashrc ]; then
        . ~/.bashrc
fi

# User specific environment and startup programs

PATH=$PATH:$HOME/bin

export PATH
ORACLE_HOME=/u01/app/oracle/product/10.2.0/asminstance
ORACLE_SID=asminstance
PATH=$PATH:$ORACLE_HOME/bin
export ORACLE_HOME
export ORACLE_SID
export PATH
unset USERNAME
~
~
~
~
".bash_profile" 19L, 346C                                                

ORACLE_SID=+ASM

[asmuser@test ~]$ ORACLE_SID=+ASM
[asmuser@test ~]$ export ORACLE_SID
[asmuser@test ~]$ echo $ORACLE_SID
+ASM
[asmuser@test ~]$ sqlplus / as sysdba

SQL*Plus: Release 10.2.0.1.0 - Production on Sat Sep 12 07:52:37 2009

Copyright (c) 1982, 2005, Oracle.  All rights reserved.

Connected to an idle instance.

SQL> startup
ASM instance started

Total System Global Area   83886080 bytes
Fixed Size                  1217836 bytes
Variable Size              57502420 bytes
ASM Cache                  25165824 bytes
ASM diskgroups mounted